The Slytherin Reformation
by spectre4hire
Summary: Harry and friends are set to start their third year at Hogwarts. Harry's hopeful for a drama free year, but with his godfather being an escaped convict, his plans to reform Slytherin House, and Hogsmeade weekends, he has low expectations. The sequel to 'A Chance Encounter,'
1. Prologue

**A/N: Here we are embarking on the sequel to 'A Chance Encounter.' I just want to thank everyone for the tremendous support they've given me. Your support and encouragement made this a possibility. Enjoy. **

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**The Slytherin Reformation**

 **By Spectre4hire**

 **Prologue**

Harry groaned.

"Harry?" A familiar voice spoke up. "How are you feeling?"

He blinked to see the blurry outline of someone standing over him. Even in his bleariness he knew the figure to be Remus Lupin. It was then he noticed the soft mattress that he was resting on. He frowned. "Where am I?"

"The Hospital Wing at Hogwarts," Remus answered.

It came back to him now. The train ride with his friends and Moony, the Hogwarts Express' sudden stop. The intrusion of the dementors and their unwanted presence in their cabin.

That had been when he had heard the screams and shouts. And then there was darkness waiting to envelop him in its grip.

He shuddered.

"Here," Moony's voice broke through Harry's thoughts.

Harry felt his glasses being pushed into his hand and he was quick to put them on. Moony's concerned face came into focus. He was sitting at the side of Harry's bed.

"Eat this," he told him.

Harry looked down at the chocolate bar that was presented to him and then back at Moony.

"Eat," he insisted.

He took the offered chocolate but had no appetite. It felt as if his stomach was being pricked by cold needles.

"Harry," Remus' voice had gotten stern.

Realizing he had no recourse but to eat, Harry hesitantly broke off a small piece and popped it in his mouth. Chewing on it before swallowing the bite, he was pleasantly surprised when he felt a trickle of warmth trail down his throat before settling in his stomach.

Harry then took a larger bite of the chocolate bar helping to banish the chill that had nested itself in his chest.

"See?" Moony didn't restrain his smug tone, "I do know what I'm talking about."

Harry rolled his eyes. "How long have I been here?"

"Not long," Remus answered, "When you passed out I sent a message to Dumbledore," worry laced his voice. "Dumbledore sent Fawkes to get you and me at once and bring you here." He held up his hands presenting the Hospital Wing to Harry.

"Where's Madam Pomfrey?" He was surprised he hadn't been greeted by the bustling and fretting witch who was quick with a remedy for his ailments and a choice remark for the actions that had caused them.

"She's already seen to you," he told him, "She wasn't pleased to have to attend to you before the school year had officially started." Remus sounded more amused than concerned now.

Harry couldn't help but laugh at that. He did seem to find himself here more times then he'd like. After all, he had spent much of the last days of last year's term at the Hospital Wing recovering from his ordeal in the Chamber.

 _It almost seemed fitting to start the year here,_ he thought wryly, _and before the opening feast too._

"How long?" He asked after the mirthful outlook of his predicament left him, leaving only his curiosity.

"Not very," Remus answered, "less than a half an hour. The train hasn't arrived to Hogwarts yet."

"What about the others?" Harry couldn't remember the specifics of the dementor's arrival into their compartment or the reaction it elicited from his friends, but he didn't like the idea of them alone in case more of those dark creatures decided to board the train.

"They're safe and fine," Remus sensed his concern. "I didn't leave until after I banished the dementor," he assured him. "They were worried about you."

 _Of course they were,_ Harry realized, _and why wouldn't they be?_ According to the scene that Moony had painted and what parts Harry did remember if his reaction to the dementor had come from one of his friends, he'd be worried sick too.

"Is there a way to send a message to them?" Harry didn't want the rest of their train ride to be miserable with them worrying about him.

"Yes, and it's already been taken care of," Moony told him. "And once they arrive we'll bring them here to see you and we'll do it in a way that doesn't draw attention."

"Thanks," Harry didn't want the school to find out how he had reacted to the dementor's presence.

"This is an outrage!"

Harry and Moony's heads turned in the direction of the door to see Cyrus Greengrass and Albus Dumbledore walk in. It had been the former who had been speaking. He was fuming.

"Calm yourself, Cyrus," Dumbledore said softly before his blue eyes flicked over to them. "Harry," a smile spread beneath his snowy beard.

"Harry," Cyrus' anger went out in a snuff when his eyes found Harry. "How are you feeling?" He hurried over to check on him.

"I'm better now."

"Good," Cyrus' hand was on Harry's shoulder, "Good."

"We feared the dementor stirred some sort of lingering presence of the Horcrux that the potion did not cleanse," Dumbledore admitted. The Headmaster of Hogwarts moved to the other side of Harry's bed since the left side was occupied by both Remus and Cyrus now.

"Madam Pomfrey has assured us that was not the case. You will be fine."

"So what happened?" Harry was thankful for that bit of good news. "Why did I faint?"

"It is no embarrassment, Harry," Dumbledore had been able to pick up on the shame that Harry felt bubbling within.

"That's right," Lupin added, "Dementors are sinister creatures that feed on our worse memories of fear and pain." His blue eyes were downcast. "Those such as you have endured terrible moments even at such a young age. That is what they dredge up. It is why they have such an effect on you."

 _My parents' death,_ Harry thought sadly.

"I told him it was a mistake," Cyrus' cold tone brought Harry's attention to the Greengrass patriarch who had taken to pacing in front of Harry's hospital bed. "It was a fool's notion," he shook his head in dismay. "Dementors at a school? Its abhorrent!"

"What will happen now?" Remus asked.

"The dementors will be removed," Cyrus answered confidently. "I'll see to it personally."

"What about Fudge?" Remus didn't look convinced.

"He is weak," Cyrus dismissed, "He no longer has the deep pockets of Malfoy to protect him."

"Indeed," Dumbledore agreed, "I know that other members of the School's Governing Board were against this measure as well."

"Exactly," Cyrus nodded, "And when word slips that a student was attacked by one of the dementors. Fudge will have no other choice but to have them withdrawn."

"You'd let Harry's name and attack go public?" Remus sounded annoyed and shocked at the suggestion.

"Of course not," Cyrus looked insulted at the implication. "The student's identity would be withheld." He turned to Harry, "I assure you that it wouldn't come back to you. You have my word."

"I know," Harry trusted Cyrus, who had been nothing but kind and protective of him since he came to the Greengrass family as a ward.

"Good." Remus seemed placated. "The dementors being removed would help our chances in contacting Sirius."

Remus was determined to try to contact Sirius as well as trying to capture Pettigrew. He had faced difficulties on both fronts but that hadn't slowed him down, and Harry doubted his obligations as the school's new professor of Defense against the Dark Arts would either.

"Yes," Dumbledore brought a hand through his beard. "Establishing contact with Sirius is paramount; if we are to protect him from the Ministry."

"And we will," Cyrus assured them.

"How quickly can you have the dementors removed?" Remus asked.

"By tomorrow if Fudge will see me tonight and back down," Cyrus answered confidently, "If not then no later than the start of next week. Once I get the governing board together and the public hears about the attack. Fudge will bend. I know it."

"Then let us hope he will see you tonight," Dumbledore said.

Cyrus nodded, he then moved towards Harry. "I'm glad to see you're fine. I'll send word to Roxy at St. Mungos. She'll be relieved." He put his hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed lightly. "I expect to read all about your first days of classes in your next letter." His eyes moved towards Remus, smiling when he spoke, "Especially this new Defense professor you have."

Harry returned the smile. "Of course, Cyrus."

"Good," Cyrus patted Harry's shoulder before removing his hand. He then shook Moony's and inclined his head to Dumbledore before departing the Hospital Wing.

"Will it really be that simple?" Remus asked once Cyrus had left. "Fudge may no longer have Malfoy but he does have other rich cronies."

"I am not omniscient," Dumbledore admitted with a chuckle, "But I do trust Cyrus in this matter. He has the pulse of this situation." The headmaster pointed out. "He has been fighting this reform since Fudge announced it. Gathering allies and keeping tabs on those who back Fudge. If he thinks he has it then I believe him."

"Maybe, it's just too good to believe," Remus looked at his watch. "The train will be arriving shortly." He got up from his seat. "I'll see if I can intercept the others and have them brought to you before the feast."

"Thanks, Moony," Harry brightened at that.

Remus smiled, patting Harry on the arm before turning to the Headmaster who made no move to leave even with the Hogwarts Express approaching.

"I'll stay for a few moments," Dumbledore answered Remus' unvoiced question. "Harry and I have things to discuss."

That placated Remus. "Good," His eyes swept from the Headmaster to Harry. "I'll be back shortly."

Harry watched him leave. When the door closed behind him, he turned back to see Dumbledore was standing over his bed, his face pensive. This was the first time Harry had seen the Headmaster since that night Dumbledore came to Greengrass Manor with the potion that cleansed the Horcrux from Harry's soul.

It had been there that Harry had revealed to the headmaster the locations of the horcruxes he had seen when Voldemort and his mind had been connected for the briefest of seconds down in the Chamber of Secrets. Dumbledore had vowed to look into them and to see if they could be found and destroyed.

"Sir?" It was that reminder that prompted Harry to speak. "Did you have any success?"

"Some," Dumbledore had a frown on his lips.

"How many?" Harry didn't think it could be that many judging by how disappointed the headmaster looked.

"One," Dumbledore sighed. "I informed the goblins of the possibility of one being in one of the ancient vaults at Gringotts." He rubbed at his beard, "An accusation that is not to be made lightly, but the goblins have a bitter history with horcruxes in their wars against the wizards." His blue eyes looked sad behind his half moon spectacles.

"The Goblins despise their existence, so it was a tip they could not ignore. After an exhausting search through various vaults they found and destroyed the Horcrux."

 _One,_ a deflating reveal, Harry recalled four visions he had seen when Voldemort had failed to possess him. To only have gotten one of them after he meticulously recited them to Dumbledore was disheartening.

"What about the others?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"I fear it could take years to find and destroy them."

"Years?"

"Yes, years," He looked pained at the admission. "This is no simple task, Harry." He sighed.

"Tom was clever and suspicious," Dumbledore pushed his spectacles further up his nose to keep them from sliding off. "He took great care to cover his steps and conceal what it was he was doing."

"But you have leads, right?"

"Yes, my boy," Dumbledore assured him. "But it takes time to follow leads and that doesn't include if the lead proved to be fruitless. I have hope that another one can be uncovered and hopefully destroyed before the year is out."

"That would be great!" Harry was pleased and relieved at that bit of good news.

"Yes, but the others will take time, I fear."

"I'll help in whatever way I can, sir," Harry blurted out before he could stop himself.

Instead of looking amused by the offer of a thirteen year old to help the greatest living wizard, Dumbledore looked touched. "You have a good heart, Harry." He smiled, "You have a part to play in what is to come." His smile dipped at that.

"I know, sir," Harry remembered the prophecy that Dumbledore had told him over the summer.

Nothing more could be said between them when the sound of muffled voices could be heard from behind the closed doors of the Hospital Wing before they opened to reveal his friends. Their voices joined together to form a wave of noise to express their concern for Harry's well being. It formed an indiscernible barrage of overlapping conservation that he couldn't understand.

Harry held up his hand to stop the cacophony of voices from his worried friends. "I'm fine." He found his eyes wandering over to Daphne as he spoke.

She nodded at his words, a relieved look followed.

When she smiled at him, he felt a slight tug in his chest. He tried to ignore the new, unexpected situation by mustering a smile in return. When her eyes brightened at his smile, he felt his face go warm.

"Should I ask the house elves to bring your stuff here?" Theo grinned. "Since you seem to like spending more time here than in the dorms."

"Theo," Hermione chided. "How can you joke about Harry's stays in the Hospital Wing?" She was incredulous. "This isn't a hotel. It's for those who are injured and sick."

Theodore shrugged off Hermione's question; smile intact when he turned to her. "Laughter is the best form of medicine."

"I dare you to tell that to Madam Pomfrey," Tracey teased.

Theo's smile dipped at that. He sent a nervous look in the direction of Pomfrey's office. He visibly relaxed when there was no sign that she would make an appearance.

"Can you blame him, Nott?" Daphne asked, "It would seem a better alternative then being roommates with you."

"The year hasn't even started yet," Tracey feigned exasperation at them. "And you two are already fighting with each other."

"What's all this?" Madam Pomfrey came bustling out of her office. Her eyes sweeping over Harry's friends. "Who authorized this party in my Hospital Wing?" She then spotted Harry. "And why did no one feel the need to tell me you had waken up?"

Harry squirmed at the stare Pomfrey gave him as she moved her way to his side, wand in hand.

"I am after all the Matron here," she was saying, "It is my duty to see to the well fare of these students," She was casting a diagnostic charm with her wand, "which I cannot do if I can't help my patients."

"I assure you, Madam Pomfrey, I was on my way to your office to tell you." Dumbledore tried to quell her concerns.

She harrumphed at that.

"Am I good to go?" Harry asked hopefully, not wanting to listen to any more of a lecture.

"Everything appears to be normal," Pomfrey answered, "It wouldn't hurt to have you overnight," she seemed to see Harry deflate at that, "But I suppose that wouldn't be necessary."

Harry grinned.

"Tired of my company already, Mister Potter?" Pomfrey asked dryly.

"No, mam," Harry replied quickly, wiping the smile from his face.

She didn't look convinced but she nodded all the same, before returning to her office.

"We'll walk with you to the feast, Harry," Neville suggested.

The other friends were quick to agree before departing the Hospital Wing knowing that Harry still needed to change into his school robes to attend the feast.

"Headmaster?" Harry called after him. "Can you stay for a moment, sir?"

"Certainly," Dumbledore responded with a smile. "What is it?"

"I have a favor, sir." Harry had rehearsed this a time or two when he realized he wanted to do this.

"A favor?" Dumbledore sounded intrigued.

"Yes, sir," Harry answered. "I was wondering if I could borrow your pensieve."

"My pensieve?" Dumbledore's blue eyes couldn't hide his surprise.

"Yes, I understand if you don't want to," Harry found himself rambling, "But I think its important for someone to see something."

"Ah," understanding came to Dumbledore's features. "I think that can be arranged, Harry."

"Thank you, sir," Harry felt a feeling of relief at getting permission.

"Just let me know when you need it."

"I will," Harry agreed. "And thank you again, sir."

Dumbledore was smiling. "You're welcome, Harry," he turned to go, before pausing, "but I get the feeling that someone else will be more thankful for this gesture."


	2. 1: Nott Afraid

**A/N: Thanks for the support.**

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 **The Slytherin Reformation**

 **By Spectre4hire**

 **Chapter One: Nott Afraid**

"Is there a better day of the year then the first day of school?"

"How about the last day of school?" Theodore suggested.

"Or Christmas?" offered Neville, the two friends trading grins behind an oblivious Hermione's back.

"I don't know," Tracey looked to be deep in thought, "I was always partial to my birthday."

"Of course, you are," Daphne shook her head in amusement.

"What?" Tracey asked, "It's a very important day." Her face split into a smile, "It gave you me."

"And here I thought only Nott was delusional."

"You just can't insult someone else without roping me in, can you, Greengrass?"

"It's a gift."

Theodore rolled his eyes.

After an exhausting first day of classes, Harry and his friends had made their way to the library to try to make a dent in some of their homework before dinner that night.

"That feeling just can't be replicated," Hermione had a hint of wistfulness in her tone, "That first day of class of the new year."

"We haven't even had all of first classes this year," Tracey reminded their friend.

"I know," Hermione admitted, turning back to face them. "I must sound silly?" She looked a bit sheepish. "You must think I'm weird, being and sounding so excited over this stuff."

"No, I think you're great," Theo blurted out, a look of realization mixed with horror spread across his face. It was clear he hadn't expected to voice those sentiments out loud.

Harry noticed the grin that spread across Tracey's face while Daphne raised an eyebrow, the corner of her lips curving upwards. Neville was watching the exchange with a knowing look. No doubt, remembering their friend's confession during their weekend at Theodore's during the summer holiday.

Meanwhile Harry found himself torn on either stepping in to help his friend from an embarrassing situation or remaining quiet and hoping Theo righted the ship.

"Erh, I mean," Theodore struggled to find some sort of answer to clarify his previous remarks.

 _He was drowning,_ Harry thought. He looked over towards Neville who to Harry's surprise, shook his head, as if knowing what Harry wanted to do.

In the end, it was Hermione who ended Theo's self-inflicting embarrassment. "Thanks, Theodore," she gave him a bright smile.

"Anytime," He replied, sounding and looking a bit surprised at how well that turned out. He was quick to recover to return her smile, though his was smaller and shyer.

Hermione looked away first, smile still intact as she adjusted her bag across her shoulder.

Theo's eyes followed her for a heartbeat or two before turning away. His eyes soon found Harry's and he sent him a frown for not helping him out.

Harry offered him a shrug.

"Here we are," Neville announced to the friends.

The six of them had arrived to their favorite table in the library. The rectangular table was large enough for all the friends to sit comfortably while also being able to spread out their books and parchment when it came to studying classwork or working on their homework.

"It's been waiting for us all summer," Tracey joked, running her hand along the smooth surface, "Isn't that right, Hermione?"

Hermione had the good sense to giggle at the teasing. "Indeed, it has been."

Earning a ripple of laughter from them as they took their usual seats around the table. Allowing Harry to sit at the end of on table with Theodore on his right and Hermione on his left while Daphne sat across from him with Tracey to her right and Hermione's left and Neville across from her and beside Theodore and Daphne.

When Neville sat down he murmured something to Theodore, before patting his back.

Theodore replied with a quick annoyed look that made Neville chuckle before turning away and getting out his books.

"It's the first day of school and they gave us enough homework to last the school year," Tracey lamented.

The friends mumbled their agreement as they got out their books and parchment. They had only a few classes on their first day including Charms, Transfiguration, and then History of Magic, with their day of classes ending with Care of Magical Creatures for him, Neville, and Theo while the girls had Arithmancy.

"Should've taken Magical creatures with us," Theodore put in, "Hagrid didn't give us any homework!"

"What?" Daphne and Tracey replied at once, envious and annoyed at their good fortune.

Theodore savored their reactions, "Sore spot?"

"In Arithmancy we have to write half a foot of parchment," Tracey exclaimed.

Neville sent her an apologetic look before a smile lit his face. "Creatures was brilliant!"

"Yeah, it was," Theodore was nodding along, "Hagrid showed us Hippogriffs."

"That's not fair," Tracey complained.

"On your first day?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Theodore shrugged away her concern. "Hagrid knew what he was doing."

Harry agreed with his friends' assessments of their first Care of Magical Creatures Class. He had been nervous about it due to it being Hagrid's first class, and Harry wanting his friend to succeed, but his anxiety was short-lived as the class was a smashing success. Starting off the year with such a majestic creature was a well thought out plan by the school gamekeeper, to capture their attention and have them mesmerized. It was also clear during the lecture that Hagrid knew his stuff about Hippogriffs, especially on how to handle them.

"They were a bit scary at first," Neville looked over at Harry and Theodore, "Okay, they were still scary afterwards too, but when we got to pet them," he paused, a look of elation crossed his face. "They were amazing."

"I should've taken that class," Hermione said softly.

"Hermione, you can't take every class," Tracey reminded her friend.

"I could've tried," Hermione countered, before realizing how silly that sounded and laughed, "No, I suppose you're right, I couldn't of."

"Now that that's settled," Tracey smiled at her, "You mind sharing your Charms notes with your favorite Slytherin?"

"I'm right here," Daphne deadpanned.

"Me too," Theodore added dryly.

"I heard that," Harry chuckled.

Hermione shook her head at their antics, but nonetheless got out her notes for said class and handed them to Tracey who thanked her before looking them over and comparing them with the notes she had already taken. Almost at once, she began scribbling and adding to her notes while her eyes remained on Hermione's.

From there the friends settled into a comfortable silence, as they worked on their respected work, the only sound coming from the turning of pages, and the scratching of parchment with quills.

"I need some help with this transfiguration question," Neville spoke up after a few minutes of their respected silence as they worked.

"Here, let me see which one," Daphne offered her assistance.

"Thanks," Neville handed her the parchment from the top of a growing pile that he had accumulated by his elbow.

"What's this textbook for, Nev?" Theodore pointed to a bulky book that made up the base of Neville's pile.

"Oh, that's for my Muggle history class," Neville answered, his transfiguration homework forgotten.

"Can I see it?" Hermione couldn't hide her interest in being able to read a new textbook.

"Sure," Neville carefully slid the book out of the pile to make sure the parchment didn't scatter. He then handed it to Hermione.

"What's that?" Theodore pointed at the book

Harry looked to where his friend was looking at to see on the backside of the book was what looked to be a giant floating blob, but upon closer inspection, he recognized it as something he hadn't read about since primary school.

"It's an airship!" Neville exclaimed proudly, "And there the future of muggle flight."

Tracey and Daphne laughed, while Hermione shook her head in dismay.

Neville's pride deflated as quickly as a punctured dirigible. "What's so funny?"

"Airships aren't the future of muggle flight," Tracey snickered.

"They're not?" Neville frowned, "But the author said they are."

"This book is terribly outdated, Neville," Hermione was thumbing through it, "There's barely a mention on automobiles or airplanes, and no mention of television or computers."

"Oh," Neville sounded disappointed, "so airships aren't the future of flight?"

"No, they're not," Hermione closed the book, and giving it a once over with a look of disappointment.

"What are you all talking about?" Theodore looked lost about the entire conversation.

Harry couldn't fault his friend for his confusion, knowing that Theodore knew very little about muggle customs or technology. The influence of his father who saw the magical world as superior to the muggle one, and didn't believe there was much to gain by learning from them.

"I'll inform my father of this blunder," Daphne said, "He should know that some of the textbooks for these classes are dated."

"Good idea," Hermione brightened at that idea. "Please tell me you have other books for that class, Neville."

"I do," he went to get them before Hermione had to ask, handing her two more from his bag.

She took them with a nod and skimmed through them.

"Well?" Tracey couldn't hide her interest. "What do they say?"

"Yes, what do they say?" Daphne added, "Do they believe that this trend known as electricity will last?"

Hermione smiled over the book. "No, nothing like that." She closed one of them. "Much better, Nev," she handed them back to him.

"Good to know," he put them back in his bag. "Though, those airships were pretty cool."

"What's an airship?" Theodore was still trying to catch up.

"A giant balloon like craft that muggles used to use to fly," Tracey went for a very simple explanation.

"They flew in balloons?" Theodore looked as if he was trying to picture that in his head.

"Who are we to judge?" Hermione countered, "Wizards and witches fly on carpets and brooms."

"Very true," Tracey happily agreed, "And they think muggles are the barmy ones."

Hermione nodded in agreement. The two muggle raised friends sounded pleased and happy at being able to properly criticize some of the magical world's traditions.

"Hey, Harry."

Harry and his friends turned to the new voice to see third year Hufflepuff, Susan Bones approaching them with a smile, waving at them. Looking past her, Harry spotted Susan's friend and fellow third year Hufflepuff, Hannah Abbot, waiting at the end of the row.

"Hey, Susan," he smiled. "Good summer?"

"Yeah, it was good," She answered, "How about yours?"

"Not bad," Harry answered, knowing the truth about his holiday was a bit more complicated.

"Good to hear," Susan turned to the others, "Hope you all had good summers too."

Harry's friends chorused the affirmative.

"Where's Sally-Anne?" Neville asked.

Harry recognized the name, knowing she had been one of the students that had been petrified by the basilisk that Draco Malfoy had unleashed last year, and had been a close friend to Susan and Hannah, a fellow Hufflepuff in their year.

Susan's smile dipped. "Her parents pulled her out of Hogwarts," she bowed her head. "She goes to Beauxbatons now."

"Oh," Neville replied, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thanks," Susan slowly raised her head, "I can't blame her folks for the decision, but it still stinks."

"I bet," Harry knew that if he lost one of his friends to a transfer that he too would be devastated.

"Anyways, I came over to tell you that your friend, Professor Lupin is by far the best defense teacher we've had," she brightened up, "We had his class today, and it was great."

"Really?" Harry was pleased to hear such praise about Moony's first class.

Susan nodded.

"What did you guys do?" Hermione wasn't able to hide her curiosity.

"He introduced us to a boggart," Susan explained, "And then taught us a spell to help us beat it." She was smiling, "It was a blast. He played music while each student had a turn at it. It was so much fun."

"He'll be thrilled you enjoyed it," Harry said, "I'll make sure to tell him."

"Good, thought you should know," Susan then looked over and noticed one of the books Theo had out on the table. "You guys had history of magic?"

"Yeah," It was Theo who answered.

"How's the new teacher?" Susan asked, "He's got to be better than Professor Binns."

"Professor Blackburn is way better," Theo assured her.

"Yeah," Tracey agreed, "Now I have to find a new class to take my naps in."

"Tracey," Hermione admonished.

Tracey held up her hands. "What?" She yawned to prove her point, 'You don't have to deal with early morning Slytherin rules."

"Well, I should be going," Susan announced, "It was good seeing you, Harry," before amending, "All of you."

"Hey, Susan," Daphne called back to the Hufflepuff, who stopped and looked over her shoulder.

"You're welcome to hang out with us when you want," Daphne offered, "Abbot too if she can get over herself."

"Thanks," Susan looked back to where her friend was impatiently waiting for her. If Susan was insulted by Daphne's observation about Hannah, she didn't show it. "I appreciate that."

"That was nice of you, Daphne," Tracey approved once Susan had left.

"Yeah, it was," Theo was looking at her strangely. "So, who are you and what did you do with Greengrass?"

Daphne rolled her eyes, "Prat."

"There she is!" Theodore sounded relieved.

"Moving on," Daphne said over the laughter from the others, "What did you think about what Susan said, about the boggart?"

"It sounds really interesting," Hermione joined in.

"I don't like it," Tracey was the only one to voice dissent at the idea.

"What?" Harry asked her. "Why not?"

"Don't you know what boggarts do, Harry?"

"Yeah," but it still took him a few seconds before realizing what Tracey was implying. "Ah,"

"Yes, _ah,_ " Tracey repeated sarcastically.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Trace," Daphne consoled her friend.

"I'm not ashamed," Tracey shot back. "It's a legitimate fear. They even have a word for it."

"What are you guys talking about?" Neville asked. "And what does it have to do with this thing called a boggart?"

"A boggart," Hermione lectured, "It's a shapeshifter that takes the form of what a person fears most."

Neville gulped. "What we fear most?"

"Yes," Hermione confirmed, before returning her attention to Tracey, "What are you so afraid of?"

"Clowns."

"Daphne!" exclaimed Tracey to her fellow Slytherin who had blurted out her fear.

"What? It's not a big deal."

"Clowns?" Repeated Hermione, who looked to be trying to keep a straight face.

Harry too found it an odd choice of something to be afraid of. He had seen them once or twice on the telly when he lived with the Dursleys. He never got to see them perform live, but they didn't look or seem so bad.

"Yes, clowns," Tracey sighed, "they're horrible!"

"What's a clown?" Theo asked, looking to Neville who looked just as clueless as him.

"If only I could still be ignorant of them."

"They're performers," Hermione tried to explain.

"They're monsters," interjected Tracey, "Terrible and scary looking."

"Honestly, Tracey don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not," she sounded insulted. "I just don't like them." She shuddered, "There's just something off with them."

"Don't bother, Hermione," Daphne put in, "She's been afraid of them since we were kids when her mum had one perform for her birthday party."

"Why would your parents invite something that scares you to your birthday party?" Neville asked.

"Exactly!"

"I'm sorry I brought this up," Daphne sounded annoyed with how this conversation turned.

"No, wait," Tracey cut in. "Since you know my fear. It's only fair I know yours."

The table had gone quiet. Nervous glances were exchanged, while others suddenly found their textbooks or homework far more interesting. It seemed no one was too keen on sharing to the others the thing they feared most.

 _What do I fear?_ Harry found himself asking,wondering what shape a boggart would take if he was confronted with it. Growing up in the cupboard under the stairs, it was his uncle who scared him. Remembering the fear that would claim him whenever his primary school mentioned that they needed to talk to him.

 _Not anymore,_ Harry realized, he's grown up since then. Discovering he was a wizard and being removed from the Dursleys, allowed his fear to ebb away and be replaced with anger and a tiny portion of pity. Before he could further reflect on his own fears, his thoughts were interrupted by an annoyed Tracey.

"Really?" Tracey challenged them. "Maybe we should start with Daphne."

"Me?" Daphne repeated, "why me?"

"You told them mine," Tracey argued.

"She has you there."

"Quiet, Nott," Daphne hissed.

"If you don't tell them then I will." Tracey threatened her.

"Fine," Daphne sighed. "I'm not afraid of them-"

"Uh-huh," Tracey cut in.

"I just don't like them," Daphne finished, shooting an annoyed glare in Tracey's direction.

"And what is this thing you don't particularly like, but not afraid of?" Theodore looked to be enjoying this.

Something that didn't go unnoticed by Daphne, who was scowling at him. "You're next, Nott."

"But you're now."

"Bats," mumbled Daphne. "I don't like bats!"

"Bats?" Theodore didn't bother to hide his laughter. "What's so scary about them?"

"They're rats with wings!" Daphne explained in a tone that conveyed it should be obvious. "They're foul, disease ridden, flying rodents!" She shivered.

"You're up, Theo." Tracey was quick to move on to the next person, seemingly satisfied with Daphne having to share her fear publicaly.

That got Theodore to stop laughing. "Me?" His eyes snapped down towards his homework. "I-I erh, guess you could say heights and public speaking," he let out a weak chuckle. "Do you think a boggart could pull that off?"

"Bollocks, Nott."

"Daphne," Hermione chastised.

"That doesn't count," Daphne argued.

"Why not?" Theo rebutted defensively, "I gave you two legitimate fears."

"Spill it, Nott," Daphne growled.

"Careful Greengrass," Theo countered, "Or you might wake up with a swarm of bats in your dormitory."

Daphne paled. "You wouldn't."

"I might."

"Enough," Harry had heard enough. "Both of you," It surprised him how nasty and defensive his two best friends could be with one another. It was unsettling to watch. "The point of this wasn't to ridicule and threaten each other, but to potentially help us overcome our fears-together."

"Harry's right," Hermione agreed. "We're friends, we're not supposed to try to use our fears against one another."

That got Theodore to bow his head. No doubt, not liking being on the receiving end of Hermione's disappointment. Daphne handled the criticism with a look of indifference, but Harry was certain the meaning of his and Hermione's message had sunk in with her.

"I'm sorry, Daphne," Theodore apologized.

"Me too, Theodore," she sighed. "You don't have to say it if you don't want to." It sounded as if it pained her to say that out loud.

Before Theo could respond, someone else joined their conversation.

"What's going on over here?" Madam Pince arrived at their table. She looked as irritable as ever. She resembled an underfed vulture with her thin, beak like nose, and shriveled face. "This is a library, not a party!"

"We're sorry, Madam Pince," Hermione apologize quickly, looking and sounding crestfallen at being the target of a teacher's criticism.

She pursed her thin lips. "If you can't stay quiet then you can't stay here."

"We'll be quiet," Neville assured her.

"We'll see," she gave them one last sweeping look before skulking away.

"Is it just me or does she look more like a vulture this year than last?" Tracey asked after a few seconds to make sure said librarian was out of earshot.

That had them all laughing.

"Quiet!" Apparently, she wasn't out of earshot after all.

"Time to leave," Harry decided. He looked around to see his friends seemed to be of the same mind, nodding their heads in agreement, before they hurriedly packed up their things so that they could leave the library before the irate Madam Pince could return to further scold them.

"No fair, Nott," Daphne whispered, "You still need to tell us your fear."

"You just met her."

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Professor?"

Harry had sat down to enjoy his breakfast when he received a letter from Moony asking to see him before the meal was over. Confused, and curious about the summons, he finished his breakfast quickly and left the great hall, promising to inform his friends what it was about when he could.

"You can call me, Moony, Harry, when its just us, still," He corrected him with a kind smile.

"Thanks," Harry returned the smile, he had found it a bit odd calling him _professor,_ but he was willing to get over that feeling if it meant Moony was successful here.

"Come, join me," Lupin gestured towards his desk.

Harry made his way through the classroom. Thankful to see all the pictures of Lockhart had been removed as had all traces of the egocentric professor that they had to suffer through last year were gone. Harry walked through the rows of empty desks before reaching where Moony was waiting for him at his desk. When he got there, Harry saw a pair of butterbeers waiting for him.

"Go ahead," Moony indulged him, "But don't expect it every time I ask to meet with you."

"No promises," Harry grabbed his butterbeer mug, and took a small sip, enjoying the warm, frothy beverage. "You're setting the bar here, Moony, not me."

Remus chuckled, "Maybe, I am." He sat down behind his desk, but made no move to touch his mug. "By now, I suspect you've heard about my first class with the third years."

"Yeah, I did," Harry nodded, "Susan said you were brilliant." He noticed how the praise seemed to take Moony at-back, "She said it was a lot of fun and the best defense class they've had."

"Only downhill from here I suppose," Moony dryly said. "That's actually why I wanted to meet with you before you had my class."

Harry frowned. "I don't follow."

"Since you've heard about my class, I'm sure you know what a boggart is."

"I do," Harry answered, seeing Moony was waiting for a more detailed answer, Harry continued, "They're a shape shifter, they prefer dark, cramp places and they take the form of the thing people fear the most."

"Wonderful," Moony praised, "Five points to Slytherin," he looked a bit taken aback by his announcement, "I never thought I'd say that."

"You'll get used to it," Harry grinned.

"Cheeky fellow," Moony raised his butterbeer in Harry's direction before drinking, "Just like James." A look of wistfulness crossed over his face before it passed. "I thought it important for us to talk before you confronted one given its talents as a shape shifter and your unique past."

"You think it might turn into Voldemort," Harry guessed after a few seconds of mulling it over, knowing he was on point when he saw Moony's somber nod.

"I hope you understand my caution in having you face it."

"I do," Harry could tell Moony seemed relieved that he wasn't angry with him, "But," Harry hesitated, "I'm not sure it would turn into him."

Moony perked up in his seat. "Really?"

Harry struggled with trying to find a proper way of explaining his feeling and reasoning for his belief, "At first, maybe," he stumbled for the right words, images of Quirrell trying to get the Philosopher's Stone from the Mirror of Erised as did the shade of a young Tom Riddle, "But I don't feel fear towards them as I did facing something else."

"And what was that?" Moony was giving him his undivided attention.

"That dementor," Harry felt a cold tendril climb up his spine at the reminder of his incident with the foul creature on the train.

Moony leaned back in his seat, "Interesting," a pensive looked settled over his face. "It's very ingenious, Harry."

That wasn't the answer Harry was expecting. "What do you mean?"

"By picking a dementor it shows the thing you fear most is fear itself." He looked at him with a sense of pride, "Very wise, Harry."

Harry smiled at the praise. "Thanks," his smile dipped when he thought back to his encounter with the dementor. "But I couldn't fight it."

"There's no shame in that, Harry," Moony comforted him. "Dementors are one of the most foulest, sinister creatures that lurk in our world," he closed his eyes, as if trying to push aside the dreary thoughts that they stirred, "Few wizards and witches are capable of stopping them."

"But there is a way."

"There is," Remus admitted, "It's an advanced spell."

"Can you teach it to me?" Harry was determined not to let these dementors get the best of him.

"The dementors are leaving, Harry," He pointed out gently.

"I know," News that relieved Harry when he had been told that morning. Cyrus had been successful in petitioning to the Minister to have them removed with the backing of the Governing Board. According to Daphne, Fudge had dropped his argument when he heard Cyrus would let news leak that they attacked a student. "But they're _his_ allies."

There was no need to clarify who the _his_ was.

"Stubborn like your mother," Remus said with a chuckle, "I'll think about it."

Knowing that was the best he was going to get, Harry considered it a small victory. He was certain Moony would relent in time, so Harry decided it wouldn't be wise to further press the matter, "Thanks."

Remus nodded, "It wasn't just you who concerned me about the boggart."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a bit concerned that having certain students face a boggart may expose fears that should be kept private."

"You think other students might fear Voldemort?"

"No," Remus sighed, "I'm concerned for your friend, Theodore."

"Theo, why?"

"He reminds me a lot of Sirius," Moony confessed, sadness crept into his tone at the mention of his friend, Harry's godfather. "They both come from families with a questionable reputation," he observed delicately, "And had to face scrutiny and pressure from said families to have them adhere to a certain ideology." His eyes glimmered, "Yet, in my time with Theodore I can tell that he's like Sirius in the regard of rebelling from the dogmatic thinking of his family."

"He's nothing like his father," Harry was proud to say.

Remus smiled, "I'm glad to hear it," his lips then pressed into a thin line, "Though if he was forced to confront a boggart, I worry that it'll take the shape of his father." Moony leaned back in his seat. "No child should be so afraid of their parents." His fingers drummed the desk. "To have a class be shown that intimate secret, that troublesome revelation," he shook his head, "It may be better if we don't risk it."

Hearing Moony's observations about Theo, had Harry recall their time in the library last night when they were sharing their fears. Theo had indeed been hesitant in sharing his, but in that regard so were Tracey and Daphne. Yet, thinking back, Harry wondered if his hesitance to share his true fear was more in line with what Moony was saying, that Theo had locked that secret deep within himself and didn't seem willing to share it, even with them.

"That's why I called you in here," Remus interrupted Harry's thoughts, "To let you know my thoughts on you and Theodore, and my approach, moving forward for our class today."

"Thanks, Moony," Harry meant it, "I appreciate it."

He inclined his head towards Harry. "I didn't want you to be upset with me or for you to think I didn't think you capable if I stopped you without warning during the class. You have a right to know the truth. And the right to help your friend when its time for our class."

"I will," Harry vowed.

"Good to hear it," Remus sounded pleased. "Now, I shouldn't keep you." He stood from his seat, "I don't want you to be late for your first class."

"You wouldn't write me a note?" Harry joked.

"And have you miss the character building that detention brings?" Remus chuckled. "Never."

* * *

 **A/N:** **In this story, don't expect total accuracy in portraying Harry's class schedule.**

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **-Spectre4hire**


	3. 2: Dealing with Snakes

**A/N: Thanks for the support**

* * *

 **The Slytherin Reformation**

 **By Spectre4hire**

 **2: Dealing with Snakes**

"I think he found out."

Harry looked over at the staff table towards his head of house, Professor Snape to see the Potions Professor's dark eyes were glaring further down the at an oblivious Moony who was having a friendly conversation with Professor Flitwick.

"Yep," Harry agreed with Theodore's observation. "He knows."

The two friends were sitting at their usual spots at the end of their house table, enjoying their breakfast. They had waited for Tracey and Daphne only to be told by the former to go up to the great hall without them.

"Poor Neville," Theodore shook his head at their friend's unenviable predicament.

Neville who already struggled in potions was now going to be facing an even tougher challenge with Professor Snape now knowing what transpired in their Defense Against the Dark Arts class yesterday.

"It was still funny," Theo chuckled, before he focused his attention onto his plate which contained eggs, toast, and sausages.

"Yeah," Harry smiled, remembering how the boggart had transformed into their head of house when Neville confronted it, and how their Gryffindor friend then beat it by putting it in his grandmother's clothes. It had gotten one of the biggest laughs out of the class during their time with the boggart especially from the Gryffindors.

Their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class had been a success, fun and entertaining just like Susan had predicted. With most of the Gryffindors and Slytherins getting a change at facing the boggart that had taken up residence in a wardrobe in the staffroom. Only a few students hadn't gotten a turn at confronting the creature just as Moony had warned. Harry, Theodore, and Hermione the only students who had been left out. A decision that only Hermione seemed to be lamenting.

Harry took a bite of his eggs, enjoying the taste before sipping some orange juice, while he reflected on their class yesterday. He still had been disappointed that he hadn't gotten to face the boggart, but had understood and respected Moony's choice. Thankfully, the friends had been so distracted after the class that neither Tracey nor Daphne seemed to care that Harry and Theodore didn't get to face it.

"Where have you guys been?" Theodore asked when Daphne and Tracey finally took their seats across from them.

"Miss us, Nott?" Daphne asked.

"Hardly," Theodore sounded insulted at the mere suggestion.

"We were talking to some of the first years," Tracey answered.

"Oh?" That got Theo's interest. "Anything good?"

"No one bold or bigoted," Daphne revealed, sounding satisfied with that information. "

"So, in other words no Dracos," Tracey translated with a grin.

Harry chuckled, "Good," He and his friends were hopeful to remove the stain that was Malfoy from their house. So that they could reform Slytherin into something better.

"They were shy," Tracey admitted, "And a bit timid, not all of them looked particularly thrilled to be here," she noted, sounding amused, "We can only guess why," She added sarcastically.

"That only means they'll be more agreeable to our ideas," Daphne put in, "We're not the only ones who want to see something different from this house. To not be so isolated from the other three houses and to not be so biased."

"With Draco out of the picture who can actually hurt us?" Theodore asked.

The older students didn't really care about the house politics as their attention had shifted to life outside of Hogwarts, as well as the exams that waited them at the end of the year whether it be N.E.W.T.S or O.W.L.S. That meant that the two years who usually had the most to say or the time to invest were usually fourth and third years while the older students kept a passing interest when they weren't busy with their increased work load or preparing for their exams.

Which meant it fell on Harry and his friends to seize this opportunity with the future of Slytherin at stake. A chance to steer this house in new, more promising directions, including putting distance between the dark and recent past that lingered over this house like a black cloud. A system where the students were rewarded by merit not the purity of their blood. If this was to be a great, strong house then Harry and the others believed that it could no longer be weighed down by prejudicial dogmas.

That was the change that Harry and his friends were hoping for. That was the change they wanted to see in their house.

"Our opposition comes from a fourth year," Daphne's words broke Harry out of his thoughts, "He has most of the support of his fellow fourth years as well as Crabbe and Goyle."

"That should be a sign for anyone with a brain cell to pick us then," Theodore joked.

"Sadly not," Tracey frowned.

"Who is he?" Harry asked.

"Alexius Russell," Daphne answered, before then pointing further up the table towards him.

Harry recognized the name, and followed Daphne's direction to see the face was familiar too having seen him around. He was tall with brown hair slicked back, and blue eyes, he was front and center of the conversation with his fellow fourth years.

"Not as brash or as pompous as Malfoy, but still holds to the old ideals of Slytherin," Daphne told them, "Mainly blood purity," she made a face at what she thought of that, "And how only those with proper blood should be allowed into this house."

"That's been the way of this house for centuries," Theo reminded them, "It was Salazar's ideals as well."

"Maybe," Harry turned away from said in-house rival and back towards his friends, "But it doesn't mean it's the right way."

"Hear, hear," Daphne agreed happily.

Tracey offered her support with a friendly smile.

Theodore nodded his head, "Of course," he said, "just a reminder of what we're facing."

"He's not even a challenge," Daphne argued, "We've done more these last two years then he can hope to achieve in a lifetime." She shook her head, clearly frustrated by the clout this particular fourth year held in their house and how he served as their sole obstacle in their way in wanting to move Slytherin in a new direction.

"We won the house cup two years ago," Harry pointed out, "They can't have forgotten that."

"That doesn't matter," Daphne sounded disappointed, "They won the house cup the year before we arrived and several years before too." She stabbed one of her sausages. "It isn't enough."

"Quidditch should help us," Tracey ignored Daphne's groan, "Whether you like or not the sport wields influence in this school and in this house."

"Fair point," Daphne conceded with an exaggerated grimace.

Tracey promptly ignored it. "Which reminds me," She shifted her attention towards Harry, "Will you be trying out this year with me?" She eyed him hopefully, "They'll be two openings, a chaser," Tracey beamed at that. It was no secret between the four friends that she coveted that spot on the team, "And seeker."

This was a conversation that he and Tracey had more times than Harry could count, he smiled at his friend's insistence, "You don't give up."

Tracey returned the smile. "Never," she sent him a pleading look, "It'll be so much fun to be on the team together!" She reached across the table and grabbed his arm, "Please?" She pouted, "Please?"

Harry laughed, trying to shake his arm free as he had been trying to get some more bacon, "Alright," he relented, "I'll try out with you."

"Really?" Tracey brightened, but surprise lingered in her expression, looking as if she couldn't quite believe it.

"Yes," Harry assured her, "I'll try out with you."

"Yes!" Tracey clapped, looking absolutely delighted at his choice, "You won't regret it!" She was beaming, "It's going to be a blast."

Harry found her mood infectious, feeling a smile coming to his lips, "I'll hold you to that."

"Sometimes I don't understand you," Daphne sighed, feigning exasperation, "And when it comes to quidditch, I don't think I want to."

* * *

"It's going to be alright, Neville," Hermione tried to calm their friend as the six of them made their way down to the dungeons for their potions class.

It was to be their first class since Neville had taken on the boggart which had taken the shape of Professor Snape. It was clear by how pale and stiffly he was moving that the Gryffindor was dreading this.

"No, it won't be," Neville was shaking his head, "He knows."

"Professor Snape is a teacher," Hermione reminded him, "He wouldn't allow personal feelings to interfere with his duties as a professor."

"We are talking about the same professor, right?" Neville looked at her as if she'd gone barmy, "You've been in that class," he looked around the corridors to make sure said professor wouldn't suddenly appear, "you know exactly what he's like," he added in a whisper just to make sure they couldn't possibly be overheard.

"Well," Hermione looked a bit flustered at the reminder that their potions professor was a bit bias towards his house. A fact which Harry, Theodore, Daphne, and Tracey used over the past two years to tally quite a lot of house points.

Tracey giggled, "He has you there, Hermione."

Hermione huffed at that. Annoyed that she had clearly lost the debate.

"I might be able to help," Harry said quietly.

"How?" Neville asked, "Unless you can make Professor Snape forget what happened, I'm dead."

"I can't do that," Harry admitted, "But I might have something that will distract him.'

"Distract him?" Theodore looked at him curiously.

"Yes," Harry confirmed. He had written to Dumbledore after the events of the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Believing it may be an appropriate time to see if he could borrow the headmaster's pensieve. Which he could use in an attempt to shield Neville from weeks of future bullying and cruelty that their head of house would clearly send his way after the ordeal with the boggart. The headmaster had responded to him this morning granting Harry the permission he sought.

Now, was the challenging part of not just asking his head of house, but getting him to agree without spoiling what it was he needed to see.

It was Daphne who pieced it together first, "The memory," she whispered, "You're going to let him see it." She was there when her parents and Moony had viewed it in the aftermath of Harry's experience with death, and had seen how it had moved them afterwards.

"Yes, he has a right to see it," Harry said, "I'm not sure he wants to, but he needs to know," Harry found himself explaining his reasoning, "He needs to hear it from them not me," he saw that he had his friend's undivided attention, "He needs to see it for himself."

"Oh Harry," Hermione sounded moved with the gesture Harry was trying to make. "Surely, Professor Snape would be thankful for you for letting him see that."

"Have you ever seen Professor Snape be thankful?" Neville challenged.

"Yes," Harry answered, ignoring the Gryffindor's skeptical look. He could recall a time or two where his head of house showed gratitude, but it was in his own unique way.

"I wouldn't expect a thank you note," Tracey said dryly.

"If I did I'd have to frame it," Harry grinned.

"You could charge admission to let others see it," Theodore joked, "A thank you note from Professor Snape," he was smiling, "Since no one would believe it."

"I'll be the first to pay," Neville volunteered, who looked a bit better now that he believed Harry's plan may work and possibly save him from the wrath of Snape. "Anything that will save me from him."

"And who exactly are you referring to, Mister Longbottom?" The soft voice of Severus Snape had a way of commanding attention, as the six friends looked to see the potions professor standing before them, arms crossed over his chest, his dark eyes transfixed on Neville. "You wouldn't be disrespecting a professor, would you?" He let out a disappointing tsk, "Five points from Gryffindor," Snape decided in an instant, "Now get to your seat before I make it ten." He warned.

Whatever good mood Neville had just been briefly feeling evaporated in an instant. He nervously nodded to Snape's instructions before meekly walking into the potions classroom. A sympathetic Hermione and Theodore followed with Tracey and Daphne behind them.

 _Now or never,_ Harry thought, upon realizing it was just him and Professor Snape outside the potions classroom.

"Mister Potter?" Snape's cold tone sent a chill through Harry, "I'd advise you get to your seat as well."

"Sir," Harry plucked up the courage he hoped he had, "Could I speak with you for a moment, please?"

Snape eyed him suspiciously, "Very well," he allowed, after a silent inspection, "I always have time for my Slytherins."

"Thank you, sir," Harry felt relief wash over him.

"You should know I don't like my time wasted."

"It won't be, sir," Harry told him.

"I'll decide that myself," Snape was still looking at him closely for a few more seconds before gesturing Harry to get inside, "My office," he instructed.

Harry didn't need to be told twice following Snape inside the classroom who then told the class to open their textbooks and to retrieve their homework before leading Harry to his office, who followed quietly behind. Harry looked over his shoulder to see his friends giving him encouraging looks before they were blocked from view when the door to Snape's office closed behind him.

"Well, what is it, Mister Potter?" Snape demanded as soon as the door closed.

 _Ugh,_ now that Harry had found himself with his head of house, he wasn't sure how to address the very delicate subject he wanted to touch on. He had been so focused on getting to this point that now that he was here he clearly realized he didn't know what to say.

 _I really should've thought this though better._ Harry inwardly groaned at that mistake.

"Mister Potter," The warning tone in Snape's voice was enough to get Harry's attention.

"I-I want to show you something," Harry blurted out.

"Well," Snape crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm waiting."

"Not here, sir," Harry found himself mumbling, "I was wondering if you were free later."

"So you're wasting my time now, so you can waste it at another time?" Snape shook his head, "I've been patient enough with this," He moved towards the door, "If you were from any other house, I'd take points away and give you a detention for this waste."

"It's my mother!" Harry's panic at not just botching the situation but getting Snape's mood to worsen caused him to sputter before his head of house could open the door.

Snape went still, his hand on the doorknob, "What?" His voice was harsh, and hoarse.

"My mother," Harry told him, "It's a memory," he could explain it better at another time, "S-she had a message for you."

"For me?"

"Yes, sir, my father too."

Snape's hand clenched around the doorknob so tightly, his knuckles went white. "Your father," he growled at the words, but still didn't turn to face Harry,

"An apology," Harry knew enough about his parents' past from Moony and Roxanne to know of the bitter feud between his father and his head of house.

"From when you died," Snape said bluntly.

Harry was caught off guard by how Snape had known that sensitive truth.

"Don't be surprised, Mister Potter," Snape sensed it, "After all, who do you think brewed that potion."

"Oh," Harry wasn't sure what else to say. It made sense that Dumbledore would recruit someone as skilled as his head of house to make the potion as well as someone who the Headmaster trusted completely.

"You mean to borrow Dumbledore's pensieve," Snape kept his back towards Harry, body stiff, while his hand's grip on the doorknob remained tight.

"He's already given me permission, and says at your earliest convenience, you can see it."

"That won't be necessary, Mister Potter," Snape opened the door, "Because I decline."

* * *

"He said no?"

Harry didn't tell the story of what happened until he and his friends were out of the dungeons after their potions class. Not wanting to risk Professor Snape overhearing their conversation.

"Yeah," Harry answered Daphne's question.

"But why?" Tracey frowned.

Harry shrugged, "I don't know." He had been wondering the same thing throughout their potions class which had made it difficult for him to pay attention to what Snape had been trying to teach.

Neville groaned. "I'm doomed."

The Gryffindor had endured another poor potions class and while Snape seemed more distracted then their previous classes, Neville was still struggling. Nervous and afraid that any second he could be the target of Snape's ire made his potion barely passable in class, and it only did that well because Theo had to do his best to try to counteract Neville's self-inflicting sabotage.

"There has to be a reason," Hermione pointed out. "It just doesn't make sense."

"If there a reason," Theodore observed, "I'm not sure Professor Snape will share it willingly or at all."

"That's true," Hermione conceded, "But maybe the Headmaster knows."

"It's possible," Daphne agreed, "But if he did then why not warn Harry that Professor Snape might decline when he asked to borrow the pensieve."

"Oh right," Hermione looked put out at that reminder.

"What are you going to do?" Tracey asked.

"I'm not sure," Harry answered honestly, he hadn't been expecting Snape to decline him, and now that he had, Harry wasn't sure what the best course of action would be. Should he just let that be the end of it? He tried, Snape declined, so he should move on.

No, Harry didn't like that. It seemed important to him that Snape see the memory for himself. His mother and father had specific messages for his head of house, and Harry was determined to make sure they were delivered. For him to do that, he knew he had to see Dumbledore.

* * *

"You want me to do what?"

Daphne rolled her eyes. "No need for the dramatics, Harry."

"Yeah," Tracey agreed with her friend, "It's not like we're asking you to swim naked in the Great Lake."

Harry and his friends had been enjoying the silence as they studied and worked on their homework at their favorite table in the library. With September nearly over, and their schedule for classes in full effect, their workload had only gotten bigger especially with added electives now on their plate.

"Haven't you guys been over this before?" Neville looked up from behind his Herbology book.

"I've lost count," Theodore answered dryly. While he continued to scribble down notes on Red Caps for their Defense Against the Dark Arts homework.

Hermione smiled from where she was sitting, looking a bit tired as she had textbooks from Charms, Transfiguration, and Arithmancy all opened in front of her.

"I just don't like it," Harry found the idea distasteful. He couldn't help but think of Malfoy whenever this particular option had been brought up by Daphne in the past.

"To take pride in what you did?" Daphne challenged.

"You're not talking about pride," Harry argued, "But arrogance."

"A little boasting couldn't hurt, Harry," Tracey's eyes flashed mischievously, "I do it all the time."

"This is different," Harry said, "You want me to brag about what I did," before amending, "What we did," He shook his head, "It just sounds so-"

"Malfoyish?" Theodore supplied with a grin.

"Yes," Harry sent his friend a grateful nod.

Daphne rolled her eyes. "I'm not asking you to be like Malfoy." Her face grimaced at the mention of their former Slytherin house mate, "But you've done amazing things, Harry, things worthy of respect." She smiled at him.

Harry felt a sudden but gentle tug in his chest. It wasn't her usual smile when she told a joke, or got caught saying something snarky. This one was different, sincere and beautiful, and he couldn't help but silently admire how different it made his friend look, or how it made him feel especially when he was the reason behind it.

"Things that make us believe in you, trust in you, and I think it would be worth considering if you just showed some of that pride when dealing with our house so that they can see you the way the rest of us do," Daphne gestured to herself before the others.

"She has a good point there."

"Thanks, Neville," Harry said to his Gryffindor friend while he couldn't help but silently agree with his statement.

He had gotten better at receiving compliments or credit since he left the Dursleys but it still had a way of making him feel uncomfortable. Harry tried so hard and so long to shy away from attention to not earn the ire of his relatives as he grew up in Dudley's shadow.

However, it still lingered even now. That creeping sense of discomfort. The sudden need to instantly deny what she said, to squash any sort of confidence or happiness before it could bloom. To try to argue that he wasn't worthy of such praise that he didn't deserve it, and list the faults he had heard for so many years from his Aunt and Uncle.

Hearing it from Daphne made it different. He felt heat stir in his stomach at her words, at her tone. A rush of confidence seemed to come to him at seeing that smile at hearing her sincerity. It was a new and exciting feeling that had him feeling nearly euphoric and he was quick to want to welcome it.

"I know you don't like the attention," it was as if she knew what he was thinking, "But Slytherin house needs your leadership moving forward, not Alexius, or anyone else. You."

"That's true," Hermione spoke up.

"It is, mate," Theodore patted him on the back.

Tracey nodded in confirmation to what the others were all agreeing on. "We shouldn't have to be ashamed of our families," She reminded him, "It's our skill not our blood that should prove our worth."

 _They're right,_ Harry knew it. However, he had always shied away from doing what he had to do because of the insecurity the Dursleys instilled in him. In not believing in himself, from hoping someone else would stand up so he didn't have to, but it had to be him. If he truly wanted to help his house then he had to be more active to see that change become a reality.

He gave excuses before. He tried to downplay his need to do or say something. He stalled and he stalled, but Harry knew from the beginning when he and his friends first planned to reform their house that they'd need a leader to rally around and as the others had always wanted it to be him, he had always denied it. Never wanting the mantle, never believing himself capable of it, or the responsibility that came with it.

It was one thing to trade insults with Draco or to stand up to Tracey and his friends, but this would be different. He needed to seize this opportunity and not let go. He needed to prove to Slytherin that there was a better way, and that he could show it to them.

Harry couldn't fear it any longer. He couldn't let this self-doubt rule him. He had to conquer it. This would be his first step.

"You're right." He knew at once that it wasn't the answer they were expecting given Daphne and Tracey's surprised expressions. Both friends appeared to be resigned that he'd dismiss their suggestions as he'd done the times before.

"What did you say?" Tracey was tapping her ear as if it had stopped working, "It sounded like you agreed with us."

Harry smiled at her dramatics, "I did." He moved his eyes towards Daphne to see she had quickly slid away the surprised expression that had just graced her face and had replaced it with a smile-the same smile she had shown him minutes before.

"Thank you, Harry," she reached across the table to pat his hand, the contact was brief, but Harry relished every second of her hand on his. Even when he felt a bit of warmth come to his face at the contact and the smile she continued to give him.

"You're welcome," He surprised himself when he enclosed his fingers around her hand and squeezed, "Thanks, for believing in me." He was certain he saw a faint bit of red touch her cheeks, but that could've been his own newfound self-confidence deluding him.

She nodded, signaling she heard, their hands remained that way for the following seconds before she discreetly slid her fingers out of his grip and back to her side of the table where her hand picked up her quill and began writing on her parchment.

In that moment, Harry remembered that he and Daphne hadn't been alone. Looking around to see his friends were looking at him with varying degrees of interest. Realizing the others had noticed the exchange between them, Harry felt the heat return to his cheeks at being caught in that brief, but intimate moment between himself and Daphne. A moment that was something new and incredible, and what felt like a first between the two of them

He then put his attention on the homework in front of him and found himself doing something he never had before, smiling as he finished his essay for History of Magic.


	4. 3: The Snake Charmer

**A/N: It's scary how fast time can slip by.**

* * *

 **The Slytherin Reformation**

 **By Spectre4hire**

 **Chapter 3: The Snake Charmer**

"Enough." Daphne announced, trying to guide her broom towards the ground.

Harry watched the struggle from above, lazily lapping around the Pitch on his _Nimbus 2000_ which had been a birthday gift from Moony, Cyrus, and Roxanne for his last birthday.

"What do you mean?" Tracey zoomed towards her friend on her own broomstick, "We're just getting started."

"Started?" Daphne sputtered, holding tightly to her broom, while looking up at her best friend with indignation. "I've been doing quidditch these past two hours."

Tracey snickered, "You don't do quidditch," she corrected with a roll of her eyes. "You play it."

"Whatever," Daphne shrugged away the correction, turning back towards her faulty and school borrowed broom as it descended slowly towards the ground. "It's still two more hours then I ever wanted to play in my life."

Daphne's eyes lit up when her feet neared the ground. "I mean I almost fell off my broom."

"That would've been a pity."

"Shut it, Nott," Daphne's eyes snapped up at where Theo and Neville were. They were flying back from the hoops, like her they were using school brooms.

"You were in no danger, Daphne," Harry assured her.

"He's right," Hermione was on the ground making her way towards them. She was carrying a basket of golf balls. She had been bewitching them to take to the air allowing Harry to practice as if they were snitches. "Professor Lupin wouldn't have just watched you fall."

"I would've."

"Not helping, Theodore," Hermione said in exasperation.

It was enough to make Theo look contrite and go quiet.

Harry looked towards the stands where Moony had been sitting, monitoring their practice. Now, seeing they were done, he looked to be heading towards the exit. Harry had gotten special written permission from him for them to be able to practice tonight. He would've asked his Head of House, but Professor Snape had barely spoken to him since Harry made his offer to the potions professor about viewing his memory involving his parents.

The try outs for the Slytherin team were this weekend, and Harry and Tracey had wanted to squeeze in some more practice time to better their chances at making the team. That meant recruiting their friends and having them fill in certain roles to help stimulate a real try out to better hone Harry and Tracey's skills.

"Over already?" Luna Lovegood asked, sounding sad at the idea of it being over.

She had been a last second addition, they had bumped into her on the way to the pitch and Harry had casually offered if she wanted to join them. Her face had lit up at the invitation and she readily agreed. Luna held little interest in either being a beater or the keeper so she worked on helping Tracey pass the quaffle and other maneuvers to varying degrees of success.

"I know why you were distracted."

"Please don't," Daphne cut in before she could hear Luna's reasoning. Her feet scraped against the grass, and she visibly relaxed, touching the dirt to make sure it was real and solid before clumsily sliding off of her broom. Her legs wobbled but even in her clumsiness, Harry had to admit she remained dignified.

Luna deflated, but didn't press.

Daphne sensed it, and had the good sense to look apologetic, "I just don't want to relieve the experience, whatever dangerous creature or magical apparatus that it was."

"Understood," Luna smiled at that, before guiding her broom back towards the ground.

"For someone who doesn't like flying. You were good," Susan interjected, her feet touching down, only a few steps away from Daphne. The Third year Hufflepuff who had been studying with them before dinner had agreed to help, but only after warning them of her novice quidditch skills. She had been the opponent seeker for Harry. Even though he beat her every time, she did have some raw talent, and what she lacked in skill, she made up for in effort.

"Of course, I was," Daphne said in a feign haughty voice, flipping her windswept hair over her shoulder. The antics brought laughs all around as Neville and Theodore were next to land, the two having traded roles of beater and keeper throughout the practice. In the end, they weren't great at either position, but their willingness to help and to follow instructions did serve as a great help to Harry and Tracey.

"I got more maneuvers to go through," Tracey hadn't yet landed her broom. She was hovering a few feet above the ground, her toes occasionally skimming over the blades of grass.

"If you make us stay out here, you'll have new friends to go through," Daphne warned, hands on her hips.

Tracey pouted. "Don't you want to me make it?"

"Not at the expense of me participating in more of these practices," Daphne replied.

Like Tracey, Harry hadn't gotten off his broom, savoring his time in the air. He was unable to properly explain how much he enjoyed flying and was determined to stay as long as he could.

"That's some team spirit, Daph."

"It's like you don't even know me," Daphne feigned hurt.

"Now there's a thought." Theodore was resting the bludger bat on his shoulder.

"Let me see that bat, Nott."

Tracey giggled, "Alright, alright, spare me your whining. " She zoomed her broom towards Daphne, "I'm very grateful for your assistance." She flashed her friend a smile before patting Daphne's head, "Such a good Daphne."

"Tracey!"

That only made Tracey laugh harder as she urged her broom further up to avoid the retaliating hand swat from Daphne.

"Have you all had enough excitement for one night?" Moony had finally joined them, looking around at the group with a smile.

"Excitement?" Daphne repeated dryly, "Is that what they call this?" She pointed disdainfully towards her abandoned broom on the ground.

Moony chuckled, "Quidditch isn't for everyone."

"Thanks again, Moony," Harry flew down towards his uncle. He swiftly dismounted his broom in one swift motion. Unable to shake the smidge of disappointment that the flying was over for the night.

"Don't mention it, Harry," He patted his shoulder, "Happy to help." His eyes looking down on the Slytherin patch on Harry's robes, "Listen to me, happy helping Slytherins?" He feigned dismay. "Oh the outrage the younger me would have if he were to see this." Moony's playful observation brought smiles and laughter from Harry and his friends.

Harry didn't take it seriously. Having lost count the number of times he heard this joke from Moony, once his chuckle subsided, he rolled his eyes. "Way to show your support."

"I'll be there, Harry," Moony assured him, his voice dropping when he added, "If you don't mind."

"That would be brilliant!" Harry was excited at the idea, earning a smile from Moony as well as a hint of relief in his face to know that he wouldn't mind his presence.

"Good, and I'll try my best to act impartial," he winked.

Harry grinned, but didn't comment since Moony turned his attention towards the others, "Alright, let's line up," he clapped his hands, "The Headmaster frowns on teachers who lose students."

Tracey groaned at the conclusion of their practice. She had been the last one to remain in the air, but she reluctantly flew down. Her expression morose when her feet touched the ground.

"Good," Moony then eyed the assembled cluster of students, doing a silent count, before continuing. "If you borrowed a school broom return it to the shed, and then I'll lead you guys back to the school."

Not needing further prodding, Daphne grabbed her broom, dragging it as she moved towards the shed.

"That was fun," Neville followed behind.

"Thanks for the help," Harry walked beside him. He kept his broom in his dorm room, but he didn't mind walking with his friends to return theirs.

"No problem," Neville waved off his gratitude, "I was happy to."

Daphne scoffed ahead of them, but didn't add any more of her commentary.

"This was the most fun I had since I came to Hogwarts," Luna revealed in her usual airy voice. Her hair was windswept, but her smile was wide and bright.

Harry was taken aback by both the sincerity of her words and the indication of them. It cast a poor light on her experience if a quidditch practice on a Tuesday night was the most fun she's had since she got to school. He looked around to see the others were similarly dismayed by the revealing truth of the Ravenclaw's words.

Harry quietly vowed to make sure Luna could join them more often in potential future outings. Wanting to include the Ravenclaw and hoping to provide her more fun and friendship then she's seemingly experienced in her one plus year at Hogwarts.

"You're a good flyer," Harry complimented her.

"Thanks," she replied, still smiling brightly from her previous statement. "Father let me fly back home before I came to Hogwarts."

"It shows," Susan added a friendly smile, "after going through this practice, I for one have more respect for those who fly for my house team." She sounded a bit winded. She moved her broom as she carried it, a slight wince followed, "Also more sore then you'd expect."

"Never ride a broomstick before?" Tracey grinned at the innuendo.

Susan's face matched her red hair as the implication seeped in.

"Tracey," Hermione scolded, sounded equally dismayed and flushed at her friend's lewd remarks.

"Oh, lighten up, Hermione," Tracey rolled her eyes. "It was only a joke. No need to take house points away from me."

Hermione huffed at that, but the twitching of her lips betrayed the lack of seriousness of the look.

"Finally," a relieved and excited Daphne said from up ahead having reached the broom shed. She was quick to open the door and drop her broom at the first available spot. Clapping her hands together when she was finished, pretending to wipe away any lingering essence of the broom from her touch.

Harry found himself standing beside Daphne as the others went in to return their brooms. Looking sideways at her, unable to help but notice how her dark, windswept hair made for quite the sight. He felt his stomach stir in a way that he's been experiencing more often as of late. Or the confusing feeling that lingered in his chest when he found himself looking at her.

"Daphne," he said, surprised by how dry his throat sounded to his ears.

"Yes?" She turned towards him.

While he observed how pretty she looked in her current attire, bathed in starlight with her windswept hair and parted lips; he pushed it aside not wanting to be distracted or come across weird or worse.

"Thanks for tonight," he smiled at her, hoping it didn't look as goofy as it felt. "I know how much you don't like any of this." He gestured vaguely, "I just appreciate it."

She looked at him, but didn't respond right away. What he wouldn't give to know what it was she was thinking in those brief heartbeats, while he silently squirmed fearing he did something wrong.

"Tracey is too," Harry quickly added. Hoping by including their friend it made it less awkward between them and Daphne more inclined and less pressured to give him sort of response.

"I was happy to help you, Harry," She smiled, eyes shimmering as she did.

The mixture of the two made Harry warm and happy, as he returned the smile. While in the back of his mind, he realized he probably looked like a dazed idiot, but he couldn't find the energy to care.

* * *

"Nervous?"

"Very," Harry and his friends found themselves sitting in their usual spot at the end of their house table that Saturday morning. Quidditch tryouts were finally here.

Theo patted him on the back before piling up some toast and bacon onto his plate. "Nothing to worry about, Harry." He took a bite of the crispy bacon. "You'll do great."

Harry looked down at the food, trying to will his stomach to stop doing somersaults so he could eat something without fear of sending it all back up.

"For once Nott is right," Daphne agreed, adding a dramatic wince to her delivery, from where she sat across from Harry. She was cutting up her eggs, but her eyes went from Tracey to Harry. "You two should eat something."

Tracey sipped some juice, looking pale and sick. Harry was sure he looked the same to her.

"Tracey," Daphne sighed, grabbing some toast and putting it on her friend's plate. "Eat."

Theodore put some bacon on Harry's. "Come on, Harry," he urged him. "When has bacon ever steered anyone wrong?" He finished up one of his slices. "I mean is it even possible to get sick eating bacon?" He asked them, taking loud and crunchy bites.

"I'm getting sick watching you eat," Daphne replied.

Theo responded, by opening his mouth to show the rest of his bacon.

"Gross!" Daphne gagged, "Even for you, Nott."

Pleased with himself, Theodore simply smiled and went back to his food.

Harry looked down at the bacon on his plate. The aroma of it wafting under his nose, momentarily quelling the nerves in his stomach. Taking that as a good sign, he picked it up and took a small bite of it. The taste exploded in his mouth. It seemed to be the best bacon he'd ever had. He swallowed, in the heartbeats that followed, he waited and feared how his stomach would react, when it didn't threaten to immediately send it back up. Harry took a few more smaller bites, and found himself adding some toast, and orange juice to wash it down.

"See," Theo sounded proud, "Bacon never fails."

"If only the same could be said of you." Daphne turned to Tracey ignoring Theodore's glare, "Now how about you?"

"I'll eat something," she said softly, sounding groggy. "But only if you two stop bickering," adding the last word with a small smile.

Harry laughed, "I'll eat to that." Holding up his piece of bacon as if to toast the idea.

Tracey smile turned into a giggle, grabbing a piece of bacon and mimicking Harry's movement. The two friend's tapped their pieces of bacon together as if they were glasses, laughing as they ate it.

Theodore snorted, "whatever you need."

"I hope you understand the sacrifice I'm making, Trace," Daphne said with a dramatic sigh, before raising her fork and pointing it at Theo, "I mean come on."

"Daphne," Tracey said in a feigned warning voice.

"Very well," Daphne frowned and went back to her food.

The friends ate quietly amongst themselves for the next few minutes. Something Harry didn't mind since he was more preoccupied with his internal thoughts then being able to keep up with any conversation. As he managed a small breakfast despite his stomach's protests and his own fear of what could happen with his nerves on a full stomach.

"Excuse me."

Harry turned to see a handful of first and second years had tentatively approached them, all of them Slytherin, "Erh, yes?"

"We just wanted to wish you two luck," A second year girl told them. A name came to him through the haziness of his nerves: Stacey Ross. Looking around the other names of the Slytherins came to him, but his attention couldn't cling to the information as he had other pressing matters on his mind.

"We know you're trying out," she gestured to her friends. "We really want you to win." The gaggle of students behind her nodded in agreement while some voiced theirs.

Harry turned to Tracey who looked equally stunned at this show of support by the younger years, and to her credit, Tracey rallied first. Sitting up in her seat and offering them a smile. "Thank you."

"We'll try to make you proud," Harry found himself adding.

"You're already doing that," Stacey told them. "Well we won't keep ya," she waved at them, "We'll be cheering as loud as we can," she promised to the murmuring agreement of her friends and classmates.

"Show our house what," she paused, closing her eyes as if fixing up the courage to speak, "us half-bloods can do." Opening her eyes with a wide smile. That got a louder reaction of buzzing not just from her crowd in agreement, but some of the Slytherin onlookers.

Harry watched them leave, finding the nerves in his gut alleviating. "Huh," he found himself saying, turning to Tracey who looked equally boosted by the show of support from their fellow Slytherins.

"Are you guys ready?" Hermione and Neville had made their way to their table. Both were dressed warmly and in their house colors.

Harry looked to meet Tracey's eyes, who nodded, a look of determination on her face.

"Yeah," Harry answered. "I think we are."

* * *

"You know there's a party down there, and you're one of the guests of honor."

Harry looked over his shoulder to see Moony had caught him. He had snuck up into Moony's office during the festivities, the reason was the picture frame he was currently holding that had been on his uncle's desk.

"I'm sorry," he apologized sheepishly, turning back to the picture to see the smiling faces of his father in his Gryffindor jersey. To his left was a younger Moony and to his father's other side was a young Sirius Black, both of them grinning and waving at the camera.

"He would've been proud of you," Moony was standing behind him, looking down at the picture. "He would've bragged about how good you were for days," he chuckled, "but probably weeks, telling everyone he knew or met."

"Really?" Harry perked at that. Even with his brief conversation with his father. He still craved to learn more about him, to know how he'd act or react to Harry.

"Oh yeah," Moony confirmed, "He was quite obnoxious about you." He tussled Harry's hair, "And that was when you were just a baby."

Harry laughed.

"Your mother too," he added. "They'd floo me when you learned to crawl, or sit up, or just babble, I can't imagine what James would do if he learned you made the Quidditch team." His voice hitching slightly, as he fondly recalled his friend who he dearly missed. "He probably would've taken out a page in the Dailey Prophet," he smiled, "Front page of course."

Harry smiled, looking down at his father's smiling face. Imagining what a picture would be of him and his father standing together in Harry's quidditch uniform after having won the cup.

"Found that in storage," Moony gingerly took the picture from Harry, his blue eyes looking down at the three smiling faces of his younger self and friends. "One of the few of Sirius that didn't get blasted." He put the picture down back on his desk.

Harry thought it was a bit risky leaving the picture out for others to see especially since the magical world was convinced Sirius Black was a Death Eater and a murderer. He wondered if it served as a reminder for Moony, to keep trying and looking at finding and helping his friend. Remus' need to undo all the toxic thoughts and curses that he had stewed over for more than 12 years towards Sirius only to learn his innocence and the truth of the true betrayer in their tight knit group of friends.

"You were great out there, Harry," Moony clapped him on the back. "Tracey too," he added, leading him back out of his office and to his classroom where Remus had insisted on throwing a small party to celebrate Harry and Tracey making the Slytherin Quidditch team.

At the top of the small stairwell that led from the classroom to Moony's office, Harry looked down at his friends who were mingling down below. Remus had put the school desks to both sides of the wall, and had a single long table placed, with platters of sandwiches and other delicious foods being brought from the kitchen with bottles of butterbeer.

Tracey hadn't stopped grinning since Marcus Flint named her the team's new chaser. She was talking with Susan and Neville. He didn't have to read lips to know Tracey was regaling them with a blow by blow of what happened during the tryouts. Clustered in another group was Luna Lovegood, Theo, Hermione, and Daphne the three sharing a look of bafflement over something the second year Ravenclaw was telling them. Knowing Luna she was probably explaining to them something from her father's magazine.

"Harry," Daphne greeted him with a strained smile, looking grateful for an exit in the conversation. "Where did you sneak off to?" She questioned him, with an annoyed look when she came to greet him.

"Afraid I'd abandon my own party?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm trying to be nice to Luna," She stressed quietly, "But some of her stories," She paused, closing her eyes and letting out a breath, "are…" She pursed her lips trying to find the right word, "unusual."

Harry chuckled on her choice of word. "You're a witch, Daphne," he reminded her as they walked over to the table where sandwiches and butterbeers were waiting. "We live in a world where the unimaginable happens every day," he grabbed himself a butterbeer, "How can one of her stories be beyond belief?"

She sighed, "Whatever," annoyed, but he saw the twitch of her lips. "I forgot to compliment you," a bit of red came into her cheeks and her eyes widened at her choice of words, "I mean," Clearing her throat, "your flying," she recovered. "I wasn't really sure what was happening, but it looked like you knew what you were doing," she rambled, "And that you were good at it."

"Thanks," Harry responded with a grin, amused at how she had described his tryouts.

She returned the smile, looking relieved.

"Harry," Theodore had joined them, ignoring Daphne's scowl. "An impressive collection you have here," he grinned, piling some sandwiches onto his plate. "A full set," he winked.

Tracey who had been listening to Theodore from where she was standing matched his grin, and gave the two a thumb's up while a confused Neville and Susan watched on.

"A full set?" The Hufflepuff asked, looking around at them. "What does that mean?"

"Just ignore them," Hermione suggested.

"That's the smartest thing I've ever heard you say, Hermione," Daphne raised her butterbeer in toast, before drinking.

Theodore frowned, but had decided to eat instead of respond to her barb.

Harry noticed the conversations had stalled. And all of his friends were making their way to the table, surrounding him and Tracey.

"I just want to thank you all for your support for Tracey and me," he felt Tracey put her hand on his shoulder. "It meant a lot to us, as did your help."

"To Harry," Theodore raised his bottle of butterbeer.

"To Tracey," Daphne added, mirroring his movement.

The others joined in, chorusing their names.

"To Tracey," Harry said,

"To Harry," Tracey replied, their bottles clanging together, they traded smiles as their friends from Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw cheered the two new members of the Slytherin's Quidditch team.

In seeing it, Harry felt a sense of pride that rivaled his recent quidditch accolades. Knowing how far he and friends had come since their first year to reach this point. This diverse group of friends that didn't allow their different houses to be barriers, but bridges for new friendships to form.

* * *

"I'd rather hear Tracey talk about quidditch then listen to another one of Luna's stories," Daphne joked, as the four Slytherins made their way back to their common room.

"I'll remember that," Tracey grinned, rubbing her hands together.

Daphne frowned at her friend, a finger raised in warning.

"What was she talking about?" Harry asked, knowing Daphne well enough by now to ignore her theatrics when discussing other people.

"Some large dog," Daphne explained. "She claimed it was near the field."

"A dog?" Tracey snickered, "That's what has you so annoyed."

"It's not that simple," Daphne began, as the two friends' descended into bickering. "She said it had wrackspurts or something," she shrugged, clearly annoyed, "It was just weird, okay?"

Harry nearly tripped over his feet at Daphne's reveal. _A large dog,_ remembering what Moony had told him about Sirius, and how he was once called Padfoot. A secret that Moony had asked to not tell his friends, when he had revealed it to Harry. It had been difficult since he hadn't liked keeping secrets from them, but in the end he agreed, when he saw how much it meant to Moony.

He knew he had to tell Moony about this. It was too late to tell him now, but he knew first thing in the morning, he'd go to him and let him know what Daphne had said. Thinking back, it sounded odd to his ears, the idea of a dog watching him fly, especially when he added, a dog who was secretly his godfather, and a prisoner who escaped Azkaban, and a man framed for murder. And there he was hiding in the stands, watching Harry fly, under everyone's nose.

It was enough to make Harry chuckle.

The playful bantering between Tracey and Daphne ended when they reached the hidden entrance to their house's common room. Theodore gave the password, as the door slid opened and the friends walked in.

It was crowded, over the heads Harry spotted Alexius standing by the fireplace, hand resting on the mantle where two stone servants slithered from either side while the banner of their house hung proudly above the hearth.

"Great," Daphne murmured, "I wonder if he stayed up to say good night to us."

Theo snorted, while Tracey giggled, Harry smiled, but they made enough noise to garner interest as heads turned to meet them. Looking at their faces , Harry recognized them to be the fourth years with a few fifth years sprinkled it. He also didn't have to look far to find Crabbe and Goyle. The other students who remained in the common room were younger and in their own groups off to the side.

"Our new Quidditch players," Alexius held out his hand to them, "Half-bloods," he sneered, earning mutters, "the depths this mighty house has fallen into." He shook his head, "Filth that shouldn't be on our boots let alone wearing our colors."

"Allow me," Harry put up his hand to stop them from responding. A gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Alexius, a smug smile spreading across his face. "You talk a lot about our house's glory," Harry pointed out, realizing every eye in the common room was now on him. A fact that made him incredibly nervous all of a sudden, and one he wished he hadn't noticed. Trying to calm his nerves, he ignored the attention and focused solely on Alexius.

"We've done our part to win this house's glories." He gestured to his friends. "It was our work that won us the House Cup, two years ago." His confidence boosted when he noticed nods from those in the common room, "You blind us with this dribble." Harry stepped forward, "You'd bind us to the past," He ignored some of the glares that were sent his way at that, "This house is about greatness," Harry agreed, "But greatness that's achieved through merit, not blood. It should be measured by the talent in the individual not in the purity of their line."

"Pretty words," Alexius seemed unbothered by them, "but that's all it is- just words. It doesn't change the fact that you don't belong here."

He moved his eyes past Alexius, ignoring the fourth year's stare. Harry focused his attention on the stone snake. He pictured it moving, slithering across the stone mantle, remembering his conversations with the snake in Hagrid's garden. Harry opened his mouth and spoke, earning gasps and even a shriek or two as he spoke parseltongue.

Alexius had leapt back in shock. The smirk wiped off his face. He had gone pale.

"That mean's _good night_ ," Harry explained to the stunned Slytherins. Without another word he headed to the dormitories, his friends behind him.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay. Laptop issues and whatnot.**

 **Hope this chapter was worth the wait.**

 **Let me know what you think by dropping a review. Knowing there is still an audience for this story and hearing them does help to keep the muse invested in this story.**

 **Until next time,**

 **-Spectre4hire**


	5. 4: The Perceptions of Courtship

**A/N: My interest in this fandom may have waned, but seeing your interest and continued support keeps me and the muse working on this story.** **I'm sorry for the long breaks between chapters, but know that hearing from you and reading your reviews is a tremendous gift and a source of motivation to keep writing this story. I'm only sorry that I cannot reward your patience and support with a better and faster updating system.**

* * *

 **The Slytherin Reformation**

 **By Spectre4hire**

 **4: The Perceptions of Courtship**

"You call that Parseltongue?"

"No one asked you, Nott."

"They didn't have to. Their pained faces were loud enough."

"Enough," Tracey interrupted the bickering of her fellow Slytherins. "You're ruining the story," she reprimanded, Theodore looked away from Tracey's frown while Daphne sighed and mumbled.

They were gathered in the library at their usual secluded table where Daphne and Theo had been taking turns retelling what had happened in the Slytherin common room the previous night to Hermione and Neville. Harry had been trying to focus on his Transfiguration story. He didn't want to turn into Draco with an inflated ego, who enjoyed bragging about his exploits. It had been a difficult challenge, not because he was interested in hearing it, but because of the bickering that Daphne and Theodore would descend into if one of them told their part in a way the other didn't like or approve of.

"Thank you," Tracey said dramatically, "But before you further ruin this amazing story, I will finish telling it." She looked to her friends as if waiting them to challenge her, neither did. Satisfied, Tracey turned her attention back to the two Gryffindors who had been patient and silent throughout the retelling.

Harry tried to concentrate on his textbook, but found himself rereading the same sentence as Tracey's reiteration captured his attention.

"And then he said," Tracey paused, grinning, "That means- _Good night,"_ she laughed as she said it, eyes gleaming triumphantly. "And left with us trying to keep up," she turned to Harry, ducking her head in reverence, "It was truly a remarkable feat!"

Harry rolled his eyes at Tracey's over-the-top dramatics.

"Wow, Harry," Neville said in awe, "You spoke it in front of them?" He shook his head in dismay, "All of them?"

"I did," Harry confirmed, feeling his lips twitch instinctively as he remembered the reactions his parseltongue had gotten from his housemates.

"Alexius nearly pissed himself," Daphne giggled, "It was amazing!"

Theodore nodded along, "and this morning, a student bowed to him!" He clapped Harry on the back, laughing as he spoke, "Actually bowed to him."

"That isn't what happened, Theo," Harry tried to correct his friend.

His friend dismissed the attempt of correction with a waved hand. "You can't tell me otherwise, Harry."

"He's right, Harry," Tracey added, "This morning the older students told us we could sit by the fireplace if we wanted." She revealed excitedly, "Those are the best seats in the common room. You usually have to be a fifth year or older but they're our seats now."

"They're probably afraid, Harry, will bring those stone snakes to life and attack anyone who looks at him funny," Daphne pointed out, her comment earning laughs from Tracey and Theo, who nodded along.

"It's not like we encouraged that particular rumor," Theodore noted.

"I don't understand," Hermione spoke up for the first time, "I thought you know," she paused, not wanting to mention a particular forbidden word in the library, "Was the reason you could speak to them."

"It was only a theory," Harry reminded his friend, "Dumbledore thought it was possible I'd lose the ability after it was removed." He remembered the conversations he had had with the Headmaster leading up and in the aftermath of the removal of the horcrux. "He also thought since I used the ability, that it could be… _etched in my mind_ , like some sort of imprint that could remain even if it was cleansed." Harry shrugged, realizing he failed at properly explaining it or even making it sound as logical as Dumbledore had.

Hermione frowned, "That doesn't bother you?"

"I don't know," Harry answered honestly. He hadn't tried to speak it again until last night in the Slytherin common room. He was pleased and relieved when he had been able to speak it, realizing how foolish he would've been if he failed. However, his fellow Slytherins didn't need to know that detail.

"This is Harry's chance to do something positive with this skill," Daphne spoke in Harry's defense. "We can shed some unenlightened stigmas not just about our house, but Parseltongue too."

"Like cowing his housemates?" Hermione challenged, a hint of disapproval in her tone.

"You disagree?" It was Daphne's turn to frown. She didn't bother to hide her disapproval of Hermione's opinion, "Harry won us Slytherin house last night with that trick," She sent him a warm smile before her cold veneer fell back into place when she turned back to Hermione. "He didn't do it to hurt anyone, but to help those like us," She continued, "Who want to make Slytherin a house for everyone and not just the bigoted and pureblooded elite."

"What about the Rod of Asclepius?" Tracey pointed out, "it's considered a symbol of healing, which has led some historians to believe that was a parselmouth. The snake wasn't always a mark for darkness or deception. We're changing perceptions, and we shouldn't shy away from the challenge."

"You're right," Hermione admitted after a brief pause, mulling over their arguments. She took her defeat in stride, "I don't mean to criticize, Harry," Sending him a sheepish look, "I'm just worried for you," She admitted, "all of you," she added, looking around at Harry and the others, he noticed her gaze lingered a bit longer on Theo before ducking her head.

"We appreciate it, Hermione," Harry said sincerely, smiling when their eyes met.

"We do," Daphne said in a resigned tone, the quirk of her lips belaying her words.

That got Hermione to smile, looking relieved that they weren't too cross with her. "I am trying to nag less."

"You could've fooled us," Tracey deadpanned.

Harry laughed, and he wasn't the only one. The others joining in, even Hermione couldn't resist despite it being at her expense.

That was how Hufflepuff third year, Zacharias Smith found them. He cleared his throat to get their attention over their laughter. "Excuse me," There was a bit of a tremor in his voice. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"No, you're fine," Tracey assured him, "Better you than Madam Pince."

"Good," he sounded relieved, "I erh was wondering if I could speak with you," His eyes widened after a heartbeat or two of silence, "Tracey, that is," he let out a weak chuckle. "Alone," he looked around the table, "If that's okay."

"That would be great," Tracey smiled brightly, slipping out of her seat.

He looked relieved, a more confident smile settling over him as he gestured for her to follow him out of sight.

"About time," Daphne watched them leave.

Hermione nodded in agreement, "Tracey's lucky," she added, "He's rather handsome."

Theodore frowned. "I don't know about that," he mumbled, hiding his annoyance by putting his History of Magic textbook over his face, "He looks like he was smelling something foul."

"Well, he was standing close to you, Nott," Daphne observed innocently.

He glared over his textbook but offered no reply. His eyes then flicked over to Hermione who's attention was on where Zacharias and Tracey had gone off, before he shifted back to his book.

Harry was about to say something to his friend, but Tracey's return stole the moment. He noticed her cheeks were a bit red, her eyes were bright, and she looked like she was lost in thought.

"Well?" Daphne demanded before Tracey took her seat.

"What?" Tracey was trying and failing to cover her obvious infatuation.

Daphne snorted, "Don't _what_ me," sounding annoyed at the audacity of the response, "Not after I had to hear you talk about him these last few—"

"Alright," Tracey interrupted before her friend could reveal just how long her apparent crush on the Hufflepuff had been. "We're going to Hogsmeade together," she sounded breathless, looking dazed about her upcoming date with Zacharias.

"Oh, that's wonderful, Tracey!" Hermione exclaimed.

"I told you he'd ask you," Daphne sounded more pleased that she was proven right then at her friend's date.

Tracey rolled her eyes, "Thanks for the support, Daph."

Daphne smiled, "Of course I'm happy for you, Trace," she hugged her friend, her tone dropping to a whisper when she added, "We'll have to plan what you need to wear for this date."

Harry looked up at his friends to see Neville's pained look and Theo's repulsed look as their friends were blissfully unaware as they began talking about Tracey's pending date as well as trying to make plans for their Hogsmeade weekend too. Before Harry could stop his friends from derailing their study session further someone else beat him to it.

Madam Pince made her presence known, by clearing her throat. "This is a library not a common room," she hissed. Standing rigid, her shriveled face made her looked like an irritated vulture.

The three girls took the librarian's scolding differently, Hermione was mortified, shrinking into her seat, Tracey was sheepish, while Daphne was annoyed. It was the latter who spoke, "What a wonderful suggestion," she said, her tone sweeter then a treacle tart. Daphne gathered her things, sending Hermione and Tracey imploring looks to follow. "The air here has become a bit," She wrinkled her nose, "stale."

Tracey who had her back to Pince was grinning at her friend while Hermione looked scandalized, but she too had gathered up her books and put them in her bag and followed Daphne and Tracey out of the library hastily as if afraid the librarian would curse them.

Glowering in their direction until their forms disappeared, Pince turned her annoyed gaze towards Harry and them as if daring them to say something. None of them did, satisfied, Pince left the three of them alone, no doubt on the hunt for more _unruly_ students.

Neville dispelled a breath when he thought the close was clear. "That was something," he observed delicately, earning chuckles from Harry and Theodore. "I hate to say it, but I'm sorta glad they had to leave." His eyes darting around the library in fear of a possible reappearance from their friends.

"Yeah, and to think we have the vulture to thank for that," Theodore looked surprised by the notion. "Don't get me wrong I can talk about scarfs and lip gloss all day," he added sarcastically, "But not when I'm trying to finish my History of Magic homework," he tapped his textbook to make his point, smirking.

Harry laughed, rolling his eyes at his friend's sense of humor, "That's good to know, Nott. I'm sure the girls would be delighted to include you next time."

"Don't even joke about that, Harry," Theo's smirk had disappeared in an instant at Harry's proposed suggestion.

Neville was grinning. "Don't sell yourself short, Theo," he told his friend, "Your opinion is just as important as theirs." He snickered at the flicker of fear that passed across Theodore's face.

"What do you think they mean by that?" Theodore frowned when the mirth subsided between the three of them.

"About what?" Neville looked over at him.

"About finding dates," He clarified, a hue of conflict in his brown eyes when he spoke.

"Ah," A look of understanding went over Neville's face, nodding sympathetically, "Probably nothing," he tried to assure him.

"Didn't sound like nothing," Theodore grumbled, "And did you hear them talk about Zacharias?" He shook his head, "like he was some sort of catch." He rolled his eyes. "I mean if you like pompous, tall people."

"We shouldn't be criticizing Tracey's choice of dates," Harry reminded him, knowing his friend was mostly sore at the subject because of what a certain Gryffindor had said about him. "If he treats Tracey well then we shouldn't get involved," He sent his friend a warning look, "or gossip about him, because you don't want that going back to Tracey."

"Fair enough," Theodore muttered, holding up his hands, "I won't say much."

"Makes you wonder though," There was was a serious look in Neville's eyes.

"Wonder about what?" Harry asked.

"Well," He snapped out of his look, now appearing flummoxed. "I-It's just that if," his voice was strained, "If Zacharias is asking Tracey doesn't that mean other blokes are starting to look and ask around for dates for the Hogsmeade Weekend."

"That's true," Harry tried to keep his tone casual, but his mind betrayed him with images of other guys asking Daphne out which was bad enough to picture, but her agreeing made it so much worse. His stomach rumbled at that and he found his hand instinctively clenching at the thought. He struggled silently for a few heartbeats to wrest those conjured ideas out of his head and to try to regain control over his gut and his head.

"What are you saying?"

"Don't be thick, Theo," Neville chided his friend, who glowered at him, but before he could respond to Neville in kind, the Gryffindor quickly apologized, "I didn't mean anything by it, but _come on_ ," stressing the last two words.

"Fair enough," Theodore begrudged him.

"Are you thinking what I think you're thinking," Harry asked Neville, "You plan on asking someone to Hogsmeade."

Neville's face turned an interesting shade of red, nearly matching his Gryffindor scarf. "I might be," his voice hitched, before he coughed in an attempt to try to regain his normal speaking tone, "I'm thinking about it."

This admission got Theodore and Harry to exchange grins knowing very well which girl their friend had his eye on. "Way to go, Neville," Theodore was the first to offer his congratulations, "Way to show that Gryffindor courage."

Neville squirmed in his seat. "I haven't done anything yet." He reminded them.

"True," Harry relented, "But it sounds to me that you've already made up your mind about it."

Neville didn't meet Harry's gaze. "I may have," he said noncommittally.

"So," Theodore's tone was drenched in innocent curiosity, "when are you going to ask her?"

"T-that hasn't been figured out yet," Neville deflected, scratching just below his chin, "hopefully soon," he gave a weak chuckle, before turning to them, "Do you think I should ask her before that?" His eyes wide in fear.

"Before what?" Theodore laughed, "Before soon? Or before the actual weekend?"

Neville sent him an annoyed look. "You know what I mean."

"Well, Nev, you said it yourself," Harry pointed out politely, "About other guys looking for dates too," he stopped when he saw understanding in his friend's eye as well as a look of resolve that hardened his pudgy face.

"Then next class we have together," he vowed seriously, "That's when I'll ask her," he then sagged in his seat as if comprehending what that actually involved finally dawning on him.

"Don't worry, Nev," Theodore was a good friend to know when it wasn't a time for jokes, "You can do this," he assured him, "And we'll be there for you," he gestured to himself and Harry.

"Really?" That put some hope in Neville's expression.

"Really," Harry quickly confirmed.

"Thanks," Neville looked relieved, "I appreciate it."

"Of course," Harry told him.

With his confidence back, Neville didn't hold back his next question. "What about you two?"

Harry noticed the sly growing smile on his friend's face. At the moment, he didn't really want to confront the feelings that were making themselves more well known about Daphne.

"I might stop by the Three Broomsticks," Theodore mentioned casually, shrugging when they turned to him, "Maybe alone, maybe not."

"Which is it, Theo?" Neville asked, not hiding his amusement at the fact that their roles were now reversed, "Alone or with someone?"

"Well," Theo mumbled, "that's a bit more difficult, I mean it's a town and other people will be there," he stuttered, his hands flailing as if trying to make sense of the incoherent sentences that kept pouring out of his mouth. "That is to say, that other people will be there while I'm there. So it's possible I'm there when someone else is there."

Harry's head hurt just trying to make sense of his friend's ramblings. "Please, Neville, no more questions," He held up his hand. "I'm not sure my brain can handle any more of Theo's _insightfulness."_

Neville laughed, and acquiesced, bowing his head in a dramatic show of deference, still grinning as he went back to his book. Theodore reacted to the friends' teasing with a smile, and an annoyed eye roll, but it seemed clear that he was also relieved that not only was the matter dropped, but the focus had shifted off of him.

No more on the subject was spoken between the friends, as they turned their attention away from the girls they fancied and the pending Hogsmeade weekend, and to their unfinished homework. A task Harry didn't often find too challenging, but as he tried to finish his essay, his thoughts betrayed him, with his head putting images of a certain Slytherin and him, each one more pleasing then the one before it. He half-heartedly tried to push the distracting ideas and conjured images out of his head so he could finish his homework, but each time, she returned.

Harry looked up from his essay when he realized that this study session was all but over for his concentration anyways. He smiled when he noticed Theodore and Neville too had abandoned their studies, looking equally flustered and distracted. They returned his smile, with the former shaking his head, and the latter laughing.

"I guess we're no different then the girls," Harry observed dryly.

"It would appear so," Theodore agreed, "But please can we not talk about scarfs and other accessories."

Neville snickered, "Don't be coy, Theo. You would look great with a nice green scarf."

"Oh yes, I can see that," he nodded, "Good call, Nev," Harry held up his hands as if framing Theodore who looked equal parts annoyed and amused, "But maybe we should also discuss hats."

"That's it, I'm leaving." Theo stood up abruptly, speaking over the laughter of Harry and Neville while his growing smile belayed the annoyed tone he tried to speak in. "I'd rather study with the Bloody Baron then you two, right now." He was packing up his things. "I doubt the Baron's ever brooded over a woman."

* * *

"I'm not sure I can court her," Theodore blurted out suddenly, looking alarmed at his own courage.

They were in the corridors of the dungeon, heading back to the Slytherin common room after the three friends realized they couldn't really study anymore. Neville had gone back to the Gryffindor common room while Harry and Theo were currently on their way to Slytherin's.

"Court her?" Harry repeated, surprised by not just the term, but his friend's sudden outburst after the two had walked in relative silence most of the way from the library.

"Yes," Theodore answered quickly, before looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was lingering or had heard his slip. "In following the pure blood traditions."

"I know that," Harry remembered it from one of the lessons with Roxanne over the summer. It sounded rather archaic even by pure blood standards, and to Harry that was saying something. "You think that would bother Hermione? I mean she's not a pure blood." Harry reminded his friend, He was going to say he doubted Hermione would know of the traditions, but he stopped himself, realizing he didn't want to underestimate her thirst for knowledge and her ability of absorbing information.

"I mean you don't have to follow those traditions," he suggested, "Couldn't you do something simple or casual?" Not that he hadn't been recently thinking about something similar involving him and Daphne...

"Together?" Theodore sounded confused by the mere suggestion.

"Yes," Harry had sympathy for his friend, seeing him struggle with his feelings for Hermione and the expectations that were unfairly put on him from his father.

"No," he shook his head, his face displaying his dislike of the idea. He paced in front of Harry, hands behind his back, muttering incoherently, looking to be wrestling over something for a few seconds before he stopped. He snapped his fingers, eyes bright from a newly thought out idea.

"We go together with them," he revealed, "us four."

"Like a double date?" It wasn't the worse idea Harry had heard.

"Exactly," Theo grinned, but it didn't last, "Except we don't have to tell them that it's a date." He must have seen Harry's confused expression because he was quick in stuttering a response, "W-we can like it, see if they like it, ya know? Without making it awkward or complicated."

"And this idea doesn't seem like either of those things to you?"

Theodore wasn't given a chance to defend his idea as a new voice joined their conversation.

"Mister Potter, Mister Nott," Their Head of House seemed to appear out of thin air from behind Harry and Theodore, his soft voice puncturing the friends' conversation and startling the pair of Slytherins.

"Professor Snape," Harry recovered first.

"Mister Potter, a word?" It wasn't a request, and without waiting for a reply, Snape walked to a nearby classroom, opening the door and sent Harry a look that was very blunt.

"Of course, Professor," Harry would at least pretend he had a say in the matter, heading to the classroom.

"You can keep walking, Mister Nott," Snape told him, seeing as Theodore hadn't moved since their head of house appeared.

"Of course, sir," Theodore didn't even try to argue, sending Harry a sheepish look before turning around and continuing towards the Slytherin common room.

Harry had a very strong suspicion of what it was his head of house wanted to talk to him about, but that didn't make him any more confident since he found himself in an empty classroom with his aloof and daunting head of house.

"There was quite the stir within the common room I've been told."

"Was there?" Harry asked automatically, not sure why he was playing it this way, but his nerves got the best of him with him being pinned by the intimidating stare of Professor Snape. "I mean," he tried to amend, "That well I did have a conversation with Alexius."

"I hear it was quite the conversation," Snape said dryly.

Harry wanted to chuckle since he couldn't help but be reminded of Alexius' frightened face and the stunned silence from his house mates but any mirth he felt was instantly snuffed by Snape's glare.

"I-I," Harry stammered trying to form some sort of response to fill the stony silence between him and Snape.

"Enlightening," Snape remarked, "Tell me, Mister Potter is it with this same eloquent manner that you converse with snakes?" He hid his thoughts and emotions on the matter beneath eyes as black as night. "If it is, then I pity the snakes."

That was when Harry saw the crack. _Was it a smile?_ He wasn't certain, as the flicker was brief, but if it was any indication then Snape was telling a joke, and that seemed to only frighten Harry further. Never knowing his head of house to do such a thing.

 _No, he wasn't,_ he reasoned silently, _I'm just desperate._ He just needed to see some sort of emotion from the stoic mask his potions professor wore and it was causing him to be delusional.

"Sadly, Professor, stone snakes aren't ones to speak," Harry observed casually, finding it easier to find the boldness at being sarcastic to his professor when he wasn't looking into those unrelenting eyes. "But that wasn't the point, sir." He added, still avoiding his professor's gaze, "It wasn't the snakes I was speaking to, but my house."

"Oh?" For the first time in their short, but scary conversation, the professor's tone didn't sound completely ice cold. "You were speaking parseltongue to your housemates?"

"I was," Harry knew there was no need to deny it. "It doesn't matter what was said, sir, just how it was said."

"Indeed," Snape replied, but didn't bother to add anything further instead letting the silence fall over the two of them.

Harry found it very uncomfortable especially as he continued to try to avoid his professor's gaze. A challenge he was finding more difficult, as there was only so many places he could look in this room without meeting Snape's eyes. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet, finding his throat beginning to dry as the silence between them only grew, becoming more smothering with each passing heartbeat.

And just when Harry didn't think he could take it anymore, his head of house broke it.

"Look at me, Harry."

It wasn't that he broke the silence. It wasn't that he used Harry's name. It was the tone in which Snape had spoken that caught Harry the most off-guard. It wasn't clipped or curt. Nor was it strained or kind, it was just normal, and Harry wasn't certain he had ever heard his head of house speak without a certain air to him whether to frighten or to intimidate. It was a tone that Harry was use to Cyrus or Remus or Dumbledore using when addressing him, but never Snape.

It was that which made Harry obey his professor's command, meeting his dark eyes, his mask remained in place, but it looked to be slipping to Harry's untrained mind, especially when he noticed Snape's lips curl up, but not for his usual sneer, no it more resembled a smile. It looked fragile and uncertain, but it softened the cold look of his eyes.

"I've underestimated you yet again, Harry," he admitted, that smile or not smile had slipped away almost as quickly as it appeared, but his expression remained relaxed. "I never thought you as a Slytherin or fit to wear those colors or to walk within these walls a representative of Salazar. In my eyes, you were a Gryffindor just like _your father_." His mouth pursing with the last two words. "Even when you began to show you were not him, and that you could thrive here, I didn't see it. I wouldn't see it." It was him who looked away first, away from Harry's green eyes.

"I didn't want to because it would be as if James Potter was wearing those colors, belonging to this house, and I couldn't stand that."

Harry wisely stayed quiet, but if he was being honest he wasn't sure what to say. Few words were forthcoming as he was more stunned by this conversation and his professor's openness that he had a hard time honestly trying to mull this all over. His relationship with Snape had thawed somewhat in the last year, but they weren't cordial. It was still mostly curt, with Snape speaking and Harry listening. It was nothing like it was with Moony, or Cyrus or Dumbledore. Nor was it like his other professors at least with Sprout or Flitwick, he wasn't scared to smile.

He thought about the memory of his parents of their words they wanted Snape to hear, and Harry trying to get his head of house to see it, to hear them, but he had refused, cold and blunt. And since Harry had made that known, Snape had treated him with cold indifference that Harry hadn't experienced since he was first sorted into Slytherin.

"After your incident last night with Alexius, I could no longer deny it," his soft voice pulled Harry out of his thoughts and back towards his potions professor, his expression marred by some internal conflict. "You are a Slytherin, Harry," he said finally. "You belong in this house."

"Thank you, sir," Harry had expected a scolding or maybe even a warning from his professor for what he had done to Alexius, certainly not praise, and definitely not an endorsement for his actions. "It was the hat, sir," Harry found himself saying, when silence threatened to fall between them once more. "The hat told me I could do great things in this house."

 _That and Daphne,_ he thought, but he wasn't going to say that to Snape. Thinking about his first school friend and wanting to be close to her that helped to sway him in following her into Slytherin house.

"And it appears you will," Snape observed, "Just remember, that great things have been done by wizards and witches from this house before, Mister Potter." He warned him, "What the Dark Lord was able to accomplish with magic was great." His face became stony at the mention of Voldemort. "They were sights to behold, feats unimaginable, but they were dreadful and catastrophic," he paused, "and yet amazing nonetheless."

"I won't be like him," Harry said flatly.

"No," Snape's eyes lingered on Harry's. "I don't think you will," he then turned away, "You may leave, Potter," he pointed to the door. His posture was dismissive.

Harry moved towards the exit, his footsteps the only noise in the classroom, as Snape had all but ignored him since being dismissed. When Harry's hand touched the doorknob, he looked back to see Snape's back was to him. He opened the door, and was about to walk out, but he hesitated, and then steeled himself when he had made his choice.

"He was sorry," Harry spoke up, "My dad," he didn't look to see what reaction his head of house would give, "For everything he did to you." Harry closed the door before Snape could respond fearing the wrath he may have just invoked.

* * *

 **A/N: In the book, I believe the first Hogsmeade weekend is in Late November/Early December, but here it'll be in mid-October before the start of Quidditch season.**

 **Thanks,**

 **-Spectre4hire**


	6. 5: The Perils of Courtship

**A/N: I can't say it enough how thankful I am for the support this story receives. Your feedback is the driving force for me to finishing it. Reading your reviews and seeing how many are enjoying this story and are curious/invested in wanting to know what happens keeps me going.**

* * *

 **The Slytherin Reformation**

 **By Spectre4hire**

 **5: The Perils of Courtship**

"I'm going to ask her."

"What?"

"Are you sure, Neville?" Harry followed up with Theo's question. The three friends were walking on the grounds of Hogwarts towards Hagrid's cabin for their class.

"I am."

"There's that famous Gryffindor courage," Theodore joked.

"I'm going to ask her," Neville repeated, losing a bit of his resolve. "I-I'm going to ask her?" The last time it came out more as a question.

Harry saw his friend's confidence waver, he clapped him on the back. "We'll be there for ya, Nev."

"We will?"

Harry sent his fellow Slytherin a look to quiet him.

"Yeah, of course we will," Theodore corrected himself.

"Really?" That seemed to bolster some of their friend's confidence.

"Absolutely," Harry assured him. Looking forward he could see the swell of students that were milling near the gamekeeper's cabin waiting for class to begin.

"There she is," Neville spotted her first. The cute Ravenclaw was smiling and looked to be having a good conversation with her fellow housemates, Lisa Turpin and Anthony Goldstein.

"Why couldn't she be alone," Neville groaned. His eyes flickering back and forth between the pair of friends accompanying Padma.

"They travel in packs to boost intimidation," Theodore supplied, sounding as if it was obvious.

"It's no different than the other day at the library," Harry reminded him, "We didn't hex or bother Zach when he asked out Tracey."

"We should've," Theo mumbled.

Harry chose to ignore it, "And there's no reason to think they'll react any differently if you go over there and ask to speak with Padma."

"You're right," Neville nodded, but still he made no effort to approach the three Ravenclaws. "It makes sense when you say it," he let out a nervous laugh, "But it can't seem to calm my stomach."

"Yep," Theodore agreed, sounding miserable.

"You don't have to ask her today, you know," Harry pointed out.

"I know," something passed over Neville's face, before he squared his shoulders, "But I want to," and with that he walked off in the direction of Padma Patil.

"Huh," Theodore said, "That was unexpected."

"Yeah," Harry was stunned at Neville's sudden reversal.

"Should we follow him?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I think he would've asked us if he wanted us to join him."

"Makes sense, but if they laugh at him…" By the way Theodore was holding his wand, it was clear he meant to follow up on the threat if they treated their friend poorly.

"They're not going to," Harry didn't think the three Ravenclaws had it in them to be spiteful especially to someone as kind as Neville, "But come on, we need to get going if we don't want to be late," He and Theodore began walking down towards the cabin.

Harry's focus however remained on Neville, watching as he approached Padma and her friends. His back was to them, so he couldn't see his friend's face, but judging by the others, it was going well.

"Did you see that?" Theodore asked suddenly.

"See what?"

"A look!"

"A look?"

"Yeah, between Lisa and Padma," Theo whispered so they wouldn't be overheard as they neared the other students. "I think that bodes well for Nev!"

"I didn't see any look."

"Because you weren't looking for it."

"I was looking for a look." Before the two Slytherins could further argue about what they saw or didn't see, their attention was pulled back to Neville, who had walked separately with Padma, a few steps away from her two friends.

"He got her alone!" Theodore sounded giddy, "That's a good sign."

Harry still couldn't see Neville's face, so had to rely on judging the conversation solely on Padma's reactions. It was no easy feat.

"What did he say?" Theo demanded, after Padma laughed. There was an edge in his question, his hand twitched.

"Wait, Theo!" Harry stopped the Slytherin from sending any jinxes, "Look!" Watching as Padma put a hand on Neville's shoulder, she was smiling.

"What is she saying?"

"I don't know," Harry grumbled feeling frustrated and helpless as he watched his friend from a distance.

"Damn," Theo cursed, "What's the eavesdropping spell?"

Before Harry had time to answer, Neville turned and left Padma and made his way towards them. Their Gryffindor friend waved back at Padma, who had rejoined her friends.

"I can't tell if that's a _I'm happy I got a date wave or I'm miserable and got rejected but I still need to be polite and save face wave._ "

Harry didn't know how to respond to that, but thankfully he didn't have to as Neville had become within speaking distance, "Well?" He asked, while trying to gauge his friend's expression to see it how it went.

"Well, the whole time there I was trying to make sure I didn't throw up," He let out a nervous chuckle, "With each step, I thought I couldn't get sicker and I should just turn around and give up."

"But you didn't," Theodore pointed out.

"No, I didn't," Neville confirmed, his tone conveying he was a bit surprised by his own decision. "And I won't lie, I was nervous and nauseous all the way to when I reached them."

"And then it went away?"

Neville shook his head, "Not exactly, it was still there, but I could ignore it," he paused as if trying to properly explain what he went through, " The feeling didn't seem so bad in the moment especially when I was talking to them, and I could remind myself they weren't monsters, just our classmates." He was still smiling, looking amused.

"That's great, Neville," Theodore said sincerely, "but what happened? What did she say?"

"Oh," Neville looked embarrassed whether it was because he forgot to tell them or because of the answer, Harry couldn't tell.

"She declined."

"What?" Harry and Theodore chorused.

"I'm sorry, Nev," Theo patted him on the shoulder.

Neville shook his head, "It's alright,"

"Alright?" Theodore frowned. "How can you say that?"

"Look around, Theo."

"What do you mean?" Harry shared in on his fellow Slytherin's confusion.

"It sucked, but," he looked away, "But it's not the end of the world," He shrugged, "I mean it would've been great if she said yes, but she didn't."

"And you're okay?" Theodore didn't look convinced.

"I'll be fine," Neville smiled, it looked a little forced, but judging by the reason for it, Harry couldn't blame him. "Besides I learned something even more important."

"What's that?" Harry asked.

"It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be."

* * *

"I'm sorry, Neville." Tracey was sympathetic.

"Her loss." Daphne said bluntly.

The girls offered their consolations later that day as the friends waited in the corridor before their Defense Against the Dark Arts Class. It was when all of them were together did Neville actually divulge what had transpired between him and the Ravenclaws. It was in the retelling that Harry was glad to have discovered that Padma had laughed at a joke that Neville had given instead of at his friend which had been Theodore's initial thought when they had watched the scene unfold.

"If you want I can shake a few trees and see which girls might be interested in you," Tracey offered.

"Thank you," Neville looked overwhelmed at the prospect. "But you don't have to."

"It would be a pleasure," She smirked.

"She already does it," Daphne noted dryly. "Now it'll be for a good cause instead of just her own amusement."

Tracey took it in stride. "My amusement is a good cause."

Daphne rolled her eyes, smiling as she did. Hermione chuckled, shaking her head.

"Such as Daphne did you know-"

"Don't finish that sentence, Trace," She warned her friend.

Tracey gave an innocent smile. "Only trying to help you."

"No, thank you," Daphne said stiffly.

"What sort of gossip do you get?" Theodore was trying but failing to sound indifferent.

Tracey's eyes gleamed. "Interested in who may have the hots for ya, Nott?"

"I'll spare you," Daphne interrupted, "No one."

Theo frowned. "Charming as ever, Greengrass." He then turned to Hermione, "H-How about you? Have you been asked to the Hogsmeade weekend?"

Hermione looked taken aback, "No, I haven't," She ducked her head.

"Oh, that's good."

Harry winced at his friend's obliviousness. He wasn't the only one, Neville ran a hand over his face while Daphne and Tracey exchanged looks. Hermione looked crestfallen at his unintended rudeness.

In the following seconds of awkward silence, Theodore seemed to realize the mistake he made, Panic spread across his face. "Erh, that's not what I meant," he stammered, "I-I meant-"

"Thank you for waiting," the door to the classroom opened to show Moony. Interrupting whatever it was Theodore was going to try to say to explain himself.

"Find your seat, we have an exciting lesson today," he beckoned them in.

Hermione was one of the first to go in and never looked back.

A slumping Theo soon followed with Neville at his side, talking to him. Harry wanted to say something, but before he could, Moony spoke up.

"Harry, hold on."

Harry stopped, letting the remaining classmates file into the classroom. He sent his friends an apologetic look as he waited with Moony in the entryway until the last student went in.

"I need to speak with you after class, Harry," Moony dropped his voice when he added, "It's about Padfoot."

* * *

"Thanks for staying, Harry."

"Of course," It had been difficult for him to focus on the class itself after Moony had mentioned Sirius. He caught his thoughts drifting on what possible news may have been found or what leads that were discovered that would help Harry's godfather.

The two of them were in Moony's office, he had offered Harry a butterbeer when they arrived, which he quickly and gratefully accepted. Harry looked around to see how different the office was decorated now that Remus was the Defense against the Dark Arts professor. He was relieved not to have to be looking at more than dozen portraits of Gilderoy Lockhart, each one as pompous as the one before, smiling and waving. It was an eyesore, and Harry regretted every moment he was stuck in Lockhart's office.

"Is there anything new?" Harry shifted his attention away from Moony's office and onto the man himself.

"Not exactly," Moony seemed to sense Harry's disappointment, amending, "But I have left some clues behind."

"Clues?" Harry didn't understand.

"Yes," Moony leaned back in his seat, "After you told me about what your friend, Luna saw, I decided to leave some behind in a few different places. Old haunts of ours back in our days as students," He said wistfully, "They included a message too."

"What was the message?"

"That I know the truth," Moony's jaw clenched, "I know he's innocent. And I know it was Pettigrew."

Harry knew how much this meant to his uncle. Remembering how Remus had taken to the news when he found out the truth that absolved Sirius and condemned Peter. The difficulty of trying to parse through years of memories and feelings that had been tainted by a deception. For more than a decade to believe something with such a burning conviction, and for it to proven false in an instant.

"Do you think he'll find them?"

"I don't know," Remus sighed, "with the dementors gone, I suspect that he may be bold enough." He shook his head, "But he may think it's a trap."

Harry imagined thirteen years of Azkaban could turn anyone paranoid. With the dementors leaving the grounds, Sirius may suspect this to be a new ploy to try to snare him and have the Ministry return him to that awful prison or worse sentence his godfather to the dementor's kiss.

 _I won't allow it to happen,_ Harry like Moony was determined to see this through and make sure that his godfather could be a free man once again.

"I'm sorry to have disappointed you," Moony's melancholic tone broke through Harry's thoughts, "But I thought it was important to inform you in case they proved fruitful."

"I appreciate that," Harry said sincerely, believing that still wasn't enough to properly convey how much it meant to him.

Moony smiled, a sad, but fleeting one, as his eyes betrayed he was distracted by his own thoughts.

"While I haven't heard from Padfoot, I have heard some interesting stories involving you."

"Oh?" Harry tried his best to sound surprised.

"Yes," Moony's look showing he didn't buy Harry's act for one second, "what was it again?" He rubbed his chin, "Something about snakes."

"You heard about that?" Harry asked sheepishly, before letting out a nervous chuckle.

"Yes," he answered, "I may not be a Slytherin but that doesn't mean I don't have my ways," he put his hands behind his head, "Afterall, are you forgetting who you're talking to? One of the Marauders," he boasted.

Harry bit back a laugh at Moony's over the top antics, "I had forgotten that actually."

"Such cheek," Remus shook his finger, "And quite the tongue too if the whispers out of your house's common room is to be believed. Something about siccing snakes on classmates…"

"What?" That surprised him, he looked to see Moony was watching him closely, "There were no real snakes involved," Harry clarified, _unfortunately_ , he wanted to add.

"So what happened?"

"Nothing really, I just told some of housemates, good night," he shrugged, before adding with a grin, "In parseltongue."

Remus barked out a laugh. Moving backwards in his chair as he did, more laughter followed, "As a professor, I should scold you and warn you that sort of behavior isn't allowed." There was a twinkle in his blue eyes. "But as a Marauder, I must say, I'm very impressed. Well done, Harry."

Harry grinned, feeling a sense of pride swell within at the reaction he was able to get, "Thank you, Moony."

He then cleared his throat, "but remember what I said," trying his best to sound stern.

It was a challenge not to laugh, but Harry surprisingly was able to do it, "I will, Professor Lupin."

"Good lad," Remus looked pleased at his discretion, "The worst about being a professor," he let out a dramatic sigh, "well that and rewarding Slytherin house points."

"For something you don't like to do, you sure do it alot," Harry pointed out innocently.

Remus snorted, "I'm sensing a compliment in there, but its being directed to only a select few students of mine."

Harry smothered the guilty smile. He finished up his butterbeer and put down the empty bottle on Lupin's desk. He could see Moony was looking at him with an arched eyebrow, not fooled at all.

"On the subject of my students, I hear a Hogsmeade weekend is coming up."

"It is."

"Those were always fun trips," Moony reminciesed, "Whether it was with friends or a date."

Harry tried not to stiffen up at his uncle's last words. "It's going to be fun," he could sense Remus' eyes on him, but he wasn't eager to divulge further on the topic.

"Ah," There was an odd lilt in his voice with that simple word that Harry couldn't quite place, "Well I imagine you'll have fun." He then coughed, which got Harry to look at him to see there was no teasing glint in Moony's eyes, and when they met Harry's gaze, he offered him an encouraging smile. "You know you can come to me, Harry, right?"

"I do," Harry felt his stomach tighten. The topic itself was a delicate one that brought with it a swirl of unease to his insides.

Remus nodded, deciding not to press, "Good," he let out a breath, "Hopefully it won't be this awkward,"

Harry chuckled, "that would be great."

He smiled while looking relieved, "I shouldn't keep you anymore, Harry." He stood from his seat, "I thought it was important you know about Padfoot," he walked around the desk, "and know that I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Moony."

* * *

"You okay, Nev?" Harry noticed Neville looked particularly glum as he, Neville, and Theodore were walking together towards the library.

"You shouldn't let that Potions essay get to you," Theodore remarked, "You know we'll help."

Harry had a feeling that neither Potions nor Professor Snape were responsible for his friend's current mood.

"It's not that," Neville confirmed Harry's silent suspicions.

"Oh," Theodore's eyebrows furrowed, "Is it the Charms homework?"

"It's not homework," Neville dismissed.

"Nev?" Harry gently touched his friend's arm, "What is it?"

"It's nothing," he didn't meet Harry's eyes, "Let's get going, the others are waiting." He continued walking, not checking to see if they were following him.

Harry shared a look with his fellow Slytherin who seemed to finally figure out what it was that was bothering the Gryffindor.

"I thought he was over it."

"Would you be?" Harry challenged, noticing the look his friend gave at being confronted with that scenario before he shook his head. "Exactly," Harry knew he wouldn't if the roles were reversed. And with that he made a decision. "Hey, Nev, how about we go to the Three Broomsticks for our Hogsmeade Trip?"

"Yeah, it'll be a broomstick for each of us," Theodore joked, trying unsuccessfully to get a smile from his friend.

Neville looked back at them, before shaking his head, "You don't have to do that." He looked around the bookshelves to make sure they weren't being watched, "I know what you guys wanted to do."

Even when his friend was feeling low, Neville was still more worried about them then his own feelings. "We want to," Harry assured him, looking over to Theo, who was nodding fervently.

"Absolutely," Theodore added, "We can go to Honeydukes and Zonko's too." He frowned, "Besides I may have botched my chance," he shrugged, trying but failing to look like that bothered him.

Harry knew what it was his friend was referring to. "You don't know that, Theo."

"Yeah," Neville agreed, "You botched it long before that."

Harry couldn't help but laugh at the unexpected joke from his Gryffindor friend. Theo too smiled, a chuckle followed, and he soon was shaking his head.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence guys," He mumbled, more amused then annoyed at them.

"So the Three Broomsticks?" Harry suggested, pleased to see a rare smile from Neville before he nodded. He then turned to Theodore who agreed.

Satisfied, Harry and his friends went to go find their table. They may have lost their opportunity at dates, but in that moment, this felt like the right choice.

* * *

"Cheers!"

Three bottles of butterbeer collided with each other as the friends drank to their toast. Harry enjoyed the smooth taste of the butterbeer, nearly finishing his bottle in one large sip.

The Three Broomsticks had been their first and only stop so far for their trip to Hogsmeade. It was bustling, but the friends had been able to find a table in the corner and had been there ever since. A few times they would see classmates who'd say hello, but mostly it was just the three of them, and none of them seemed to mind.

"I don't know why Hogswarts won't serve us this every day," Theodore put his empty bottle down.

Harry nodded in agreement, while Neville nursed his still mostly filled bottle. "It's a shame," Harry voiced his thoughts. It was true there were times when it was available at the castle, but those were few and far between. The other ways of obtaining them would be frowned upon and considered contraband.

"It's the house elves," Neville pointed out, "It gets them," he cleared his throat, " _drunk."_

Harry couldn't help but laugh at Neville's delicate handling of that truth. He wasn't alone in his mirth as Theodore too joined in and Neville eventually smiled at their reactions, but rolled his eyes all the same.

"Thanks again," The Gryffindor said when the atmosphere sobered, "I appreciate _this_." He tried to emphasize it by gesturing to where they were.

"Not a problem," Harry assured his friend for the umpteenth time. "Another round, please," he asked a passing waitress, who nodded and went to retrieve them. "This one's on me," Harry told them, finishing up his bottle.

The friends nodded their thanks, as the waitress reappeared with a tray and three more bottles, handing them out before leaving after the friends gave their thanks.

Neville put his off to the side since he still had a ways to go. "Do you know what Daphne and Hermione were up to?"

"They were going to go to a few shops," Harry remembered them talking about it during one of their study sessions, "and then come by here."

"I could leave if you like," Neville offered, "When they get here."

"No way," Harry and Theodore said at once, insulted at the suggestion. "That isn't necessary, Nev," Harry added, "We're friends, and that's what this trip was about." He turned to each of them, "Friendship."

"I'll drink to that," Theodore proved his point by taking a generous sip from his butterbeer bottle. "Besides I'm not sure I'm ready," he admitted. He didn't look them in the eyes instead looking down at his bottle as he continued talking. "I keep thinking is it worth risking our friendships? If she says no." A spasm of fear flickered over his face at this scenario. "Then nothing will ever be the same," he was quiet in his observations. "It'll become awkward and even distant."

"You're right," Neville nodded, "I won't lie and say the rejection didn't sting," He sighed, "Because it did, but I'm still happy I did it." He was sincere when his eyes met theirs. "And proud. It wasn't easy, but at the same time it was easy," he shook his head as if understanding that didn't make sense. "I don't know," he shrugged and settled for drinking from his bottle as if to stop himself from talking.

"I understand," Harry added. This wasn't the first time they had this conversation. He realized it was becoming a more frequent trend between them, and one they seemed to fall into whenever it was the three of them. Theo wasn't shy about voicing his concerns and fears and he wrestled with them daily, with each time changing his stance only to switch to the other one. He talked himself out of it more times then he could talk himself into trying. The fear of so many different things hung over his best friend like a dark cloud, always lurking.

"I know I keep saying it over and over," Theo said honestly. "I just, I just," He nearly stammered as he spoke as if trying to voice why it was he couldn't handle it and he struggled with just try doing that.

"It's fine, Theo," Harry told him, "That's what friends are for," He turned to see Neville look on in agreement. "We'll support ya, you know that," He was pleased when his words seem to give his friend some confidence. "And our friendships are bound to change," Harry observed, "Sooner or later." He didn't want to admit it, but he couldn't lie to himself, so why try to lie to his friends. "I mean these feelings aren't going to go away," Harry looked to Theo, "How you feel about her, have they?"

"No," Theodore admitted, and that seemed to stick with him.

"Same," Harry didn't need to voice who it was he was referring to, as they all knew and understood. He tried his best to not change while he was around her, but it was becoming difficult. He noticed more things about her, and it colored his perspective despite his efforts of trying to think of her like he always had-his first true friend.

The friends finished their bottles in silence. If they were like Harry, he bet they were thinking about certain witches and the emotional entanglements that seemed to come with them.

"This one's on me," Neville who was still playing catch up with them. He gave the order to their waitress, "For being here for me."

"Would've done it even without the free butterbeer," Theodore smiled.

Harry chuckled, "same."

"But I'd be lying if I didn't say I don't welcome them," Theodore picked up the new bottle that the waitress had just given them. He opened his mouth to say something else, but then closed it, a frown coming to his features. "Tracey?"

Harry turned his head as Theodore had the seat that looked to see it was indeed her. She looked disheveled, and to Harry's surprise, she was alone. "Trace," He stood to help get her attention, she spotted them, but seemed to hesitate before deciding to join them. _Odd,_ he couldn't help but think, as he watched her cross the restaurant to join their table. When she was closer, he noticed her hair was messy and her face looked a bit red. "You okay, Tracey?" He asked when she was near.

"I'm fine," She said curtly.

Theodore had gotten up to get her chair, "Thanks," she added, when she sat down. "I'm sorry," she sighed, dropping her head, "It's not your fault."

"What happened?" Theodore returned to his seat. "Where's Zach?"

"Probably on his way to the Hospital Wing."

Neville coughed up some of his butterbeer, while Theodore nearly spat his out at the unexpected answer.

"What?" Harry asked for his friends who were trying to recover.

"Nothing serious," Tracey said casually, waving off their apparent concern. She looked at them, some of her old self was returning.

"I take it the date didn't go well," Neville said the obvious.

"That would be the smart bet," Theodore chimed in, "Unless the Hospital Wing is the new go to place for couples."

Tracey smiled, "It didn't." The confirmation didn't seem to bother her as much as it apparently did when they first spotted her walk in.

"I'm sorry," Harry meant it, and the other two were quick to add their sentiments as well.

"Here," Neville offered her his freshly ordered butterbeer since he was still working on their previous round.

"Thanks," Tracey didn't try to argue. She took the bottle and nearly drained it in a single sip. "I needed that," She smacked her lips together.

"So about Smith?" Theodore carefully asked, "I assume he's not going to the Hospital Wing over a broken heart."

Tracey snorted, "His heart isn't the thing that got broke." Her eyes shimmered in the light.

"That sounds ominous," Neville deadpanned.

"I'll save you the details, since you're not the audience for those," she pointed out.

"Appreciate it," Theodore didn't try to hide his relief.

Harry knew she was referring to Hermione and Daphne. Even though he shared part of Theodore's sentiment about being overwhelmed with the details. It didn't mean they were going to ignore it. She was their friend, and she needed to know that they still cared and were there for her. "You can summarize it for us."

Tracey turned to him, looking appreciative of the gesture, "Zach is an arse."

Harry frowned. He had a sinking feeling from the beginning, that he wasn't going to like what it was she said, and the more she had revealed the less doubt remained. When it was revealed and the implications that were tied to it, Harry was half tempted to go visit the Hospital Wing himself.

"Sounds like he got what was coming to him," Neville said.

"Yeah," Theodore was staring down into his bottle, "But if he needs a reminder..." He let his words hang in the air.

"My heroes," Tracey cooed at them, each of them taking her words and tone in varying degrees of awkwardness. That only made Tracey's grin widen, "Don't worry about him," she told them, "It wasn't that serious, but I still needed to deal with it." She looked like she wanted the subject to drop and Harry was inclined to adhere to her wishes.

"To jerks and them receiving their rightful punishments," Harry raised his bottlebeer up in toast.

Tracey giggled, but mimicked his movement, Neville and Theodore were quick to follow suit as their bottles clanged against one another and they chorused their toasts.

"It appears we're toasting Nott, such a pity I missed it." Daphne appeared behind them. Smiling as she always seemed to do when it came to insulting Nott. Hermione was behind her, shaking her head, like Harry and the others, their bickering was more annoying then anything else.

"Where's Zach?" Hermione spoke up.

Neville and Theodore had gotten chairs for the new arrivals, with Hermione sitting between Theo and Harry, and Daphne across from her and between Tracey and Neville.

"I'll tell you later."

Daphne frowned, sensing there was a story that needed to be told. She eyed her friend as if trying to pry the details out with a simple look.

"Both of you," She added, looking over at Hermione, "But let's just say there won't be a second date."

"I have a feeling my opinion of Smith is only going to sink lower after hearing this," Daphne observed.

"That would be correct," Tracey agreed.

"Well, since we're all here," Harry looked around the table at his friends, "How about another round?"

That received a loud chorus of agreement and Harry couldn't help but smile as he kindly asked their waitress for some more.

"Did you stop by the Quill shop?" Theodore asked.

"No, not yet," Hermione sounded a bit disappointed, "We're suppose to go after the Three Broomsticks," she gave Daphne a pointed look.

The slytherin sighed. "Forgive me for not having an interest in going there on my Saturday."

"I-I could go with you," Theodore suggested, "If you'd like?"

Hermione's smile was bright. "That'd be great."

"Great," He replied after some hesitation as if surprised by her answer. He then seemed to sag in his seat, but no one noticed besides Harry since at that moment their waitress returned with their round of butterbeer, and was distributing them around the table. When Theodore got his from Neville, it came with a wink.

Harry smiled at his friend and nodded when he turned in his direction. He returned the gesture, looking a bit proud of himself, but also nauseous if Harry had to guess. Harry hoped that went away for his friend's sake. When they all had their bottles, Harry raised his towards his friends.

"Another toast towards friendship, Harry?" Tracey grinned, correctly guessing his intentions. A ripple of laughter followed from around the table as did murmurs of agreement.

Harry feigned a scowl while he lowered his bottle. "No," he lied, but that didn't fool anyone, "Fine," he admitted, rolling his eyes at the reaction that got from everyone else.

"There's nothing wrong with being thankful for friends," Hermione was always quick to remind them of that. She like him had grew up with little in ways of friends and their time in Hogwarts and the friendships that were forged meant as much to her as it did to Harry.

"Let's just drink them," Neville suggested, and they all agreed.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Thank you for your patience. I won't lie and say there won't be lulls in this story's updating schedule because there will be, but I'm still focused on finishing this story.**

 **If you have the time, please drop a review. Reading your comments is what gets me motivated and finding the time to keep this story going.**

 **-Spectre4hire**


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